


Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Realm of the Lost

by TheMartialAntiquarian



Series: The Kenobi Trilogy [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series - Jude Watson & Dave Wolverton
Genre: Death Watch (Star Wars), Dooku Cameo, Fusion of Star Wars Legends and Disney Canon, Komari Vosa Cameo, Mandalorian Civil War (Star Wars), Mandalorian Colonies, Mandalorian Culture (Star Wars), Multi, New Mandalorians (Star Wars), Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Past Qui-Gon Jinn/Tahl, Siri Tachi Gets a Hug, Siri Tachi Needs a Hug, Siri Tachi is a mess, Star Wars Legends: Jedi Apprentice Series References, True Mandalorians (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:41:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 64,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29134221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMartialAntiquarian/pseuds/TheMartialAntiquarian
Summary: One year after the Lok’ayy Affair, a mission gone wrong sees Obi-Wan and Siri marooned on a distant planet and presumed dead. They soon find themselves embroiled in a brutal guerilla war, and a struggle for their souls as their old feelings continue to resurface and Obi-Wan faces a familiar enemy with links to another old love. Will the Realm of the Lost consume them both? Siriwan, with Obitine flashbacks. Book II of the Kenobi Trilogy.
Relationships: Adi Gallia & Sifo-Dyas, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Siri Tachi, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, Qui-Gon Jinn & Adi Gallia, Qui-Gon Jinn & Sifo-Dyas
Series: The Kenobi Trilogy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2056470
Comments: 15
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year, and welcome to Book II of the Kenobi Trilogy! I hope you enjoyed the last entry, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Trail of the Sith. If you haven't read it, please do so now: the books in this trilogy build on one another, and should be read in order. Now that that's out of the way, on to the setup for this entry in the Kenobi Trilogy. This story takes place in 33 BBY, one year after the events of Trail of the Sith and one year before the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Obi-Wan is 24, Siri is 22. This takes place in between the Yinchorri Uprising depicted in the Jedi Council: Acts of War comic books and the Eriadu Trade Summit depicted in the novel Cloak of Deception. Keep this in mind when reading both this and Book III, as these events will be referenced at various times in this and the coming book. The Battle of Galidraan, as depicted in the prologue, takes place in 44 BBY (some sources use different dates for it), when most of the early Jedi Apprentice novels took place. Specifically, I'm placing it right after The Fight for Truth (the events of which are referenced in the prologue itself.) I did take some artistic license in the depiction of the battle, as going with a straight copy of the battle as depicted in the Jango Fett: Open Seasons comic books wouldn't have allowed the prologue to go the way I wanted it to. Specifically, I wanted a little homage to the opening scene of The Rock and the radio chatter between Brigadier General Hummel and his doomed Marines that played in the background of that scene. I was watching that movie when I started writing this, and I thought doing the prologue this way would make for a neat parallel between Hummel and Dooku, given both characters' later actions. The Mission to Mandalore, where Obi-Wan met Satine, is dated as 36-35 BBY for the purposes of this story. Feel free to post reviews at any time, but keep them civil as always. So, without further ado, enjoy this latest installment of the Kenobi Trilogy!

**Prologue**

**Mandalore, Mandalore**

"Master! We're pinned down! We can't hold out much longer! We need assistance now!"

"I won't let you down. I won't let you down, son."

Jedi Master Dooku reflexively raised his lightsaber to deflect an incoming blaster bolt as he released the talk button on his commlink. Next to him, his Padawan Komari Vosa stood up, deflecting blaster fire as anger simmered from her Force presence.

_She's looking more and more like one big mistake for the Jedi Order. And now the damn Council has sent us out here against the deadliest warriors in the galaxy, and my Jedi, my responsibility, are pinned down on the other side of this battlefield as I try to get them the support they need._

Blaster fire continued to pour down around the two Jedi and the squad of Judicial Forces soldiers supporting them. The officer commanding the Judicial Forces, Lieutenant Antidar Williams, continued to dash from cover to cover, coolly standing up and encouraging his men despite the Mandalorians' blaster bolts missing him by centimeters.

_A brave and worthy leader, without question. He would have been an excellent Jedi._

Dooku and his small party were crouched behind a series of fallen logs, hugging the dirt as blaster bolts and the occasional rocket flew over their position from Mandalorian trenches on a hillside across from them. The Jedi Master, without proper command and control equipment, was stuck with his standard-issue commlink as his sole means of coordinating his attack against the Mandalorians. And, so far, neither his strategy nor his means of implementing it were working. His initial attack had only driven the Mandalorians back to their defensive positions, and they had since dug in at pre-prepared positions and were now pouring fire onto Dooku's strike force. A group of six Jedi and roughly a dozen Judicials had been cut off from the main force and were now fighting for their lives inside a thicket against a relentless Mandalorian counterattack as Dooku did everything in his power to get them aid before they were overrun. So far, however, the underequipped Judicials had been unable to aid the trapped Jedi.

_We're peacekeepers, not soldiers. The Judicial Forces should be doing this, but they aren't enough in the face of the Mandalorians. And I don't have the tools I need to coordinate my force._

Padawan Vosa grew more and more agitated as the fire continued to pour in. She ducked behind a log as a rocket flashed over, and turned to Dooku.

"Master! What are we doing! We should be MOVING! They're going to kill those Jedi!"

"What does it look like I'm doing, Padawan? Do you think I can run a full-scale battle with just my wits and a commlink?"

"I…I don't know! We…we just need to DO SOMETHING!"

The exasperated Dooku turned to his hysterical Padawan and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Get a hold of yourself, Padawan! Look at me! Look at my eyes!"

Vosa could barely look up at her Master as she continued to hyperventilate.

"Yes…yes, Master."

"Master Dooku!"

Williams ducked behind the log with Dooku and Vosa as another bolt flew past his head.

"Lieutenant! You need to get my Jedi out of that thicket!"

"I can't do that, sir!"

"What do you mean you can't?"

"All we have are unarmed _Consulars_ to aid them with. We can't land those over there, and even if we could the Mandos would tear them to shreds. As they're unarmed, we can't use them for fire support, and we didn't bring any mortars or other heavy weapons with us either. And sending my men into that thicket head-on would be suicide!"

Before the two could argue further, Dooku's commlink crackled to life. The lead Jedi Knight in the group trapped in the thicket shouted into the commlink, barely keeping the panic out of his voice as the sounds of combat played in the background.

"Master Dooku! How much longer are we supposed to stay here! I've lost two Jedi already and the Judicials are getting slaughtered!"

"I'll…I'll send you what I can. Just hold on."

Dooku felt a sudden pang of danger from the Force. As he went prone, a burst of heavy repeating blaster fire suddenly tore through the air. A Judicial standing nearby was an instant too late in ducking, however, and he fell to the snowy forest floor, clutching at his chest and moaning in agony. Lieutenant Williams dashed to his stricken man, dragging him behind the log as more blaster bolts passed precariously close to him. Vosa turned her head away from the wounded man as Dooku walked to Williams' side. Williams pulled the man's first aid kit from his vest and began treating his wound as the young soldier began coughing up blood.

"How bad is it, Lieutenant?"

"We'll need to get him to the rear, back to the _Acceptance._ It's too dangerous to treat him here."

"I can't leave this position, Lieutenant. You'll have to take him yourself."

"Sir, I can't get him back there all by my lonesome. I'll need someone else, and I don't want to pull a perfectly able man off of the firing line to help."

"My Padawan will accompany you, then."

As Williams turned back to the wounded Judicial, Dooku turned to his Padawan. Vosa was now hugging her knees to her chest, burying her head in her thighs and barely able to look at her Master.

"Vosa? Padawan, look at me!"

She raised her head just enough to look him in the eye. She shook all over, and looked as if she would burst into tears at any minute.

"Listen carefully, Padawan. You will accompany Lieutenant Williams to the rear and aid him in moving that wounded soldier. Once you've gotten him aboard the _Acceptance_ , you will return here and report to me. Do you understand?"

She nodded, not uttering a sound.

"Good. Now, go!"

Vosa shuffled over to the wounded Judicial as Williams continued to work on him.

"Lieutenant…sir…I don't wanna die here…"

"You won't, soldier. You see that woman across from you? That's Komari Vosa. She's a Jedi. She and I will get you back to the _Acceptance_ and get a medical droid working on you. By this time next week, you'll be in a nice warm bed sipping Corellian brandy. You hear me?"

"Yes…sir…"

The young man's voice continued to weaken as Vosa took his hand. The Padawan tried to sound as brave as she could despite the raging battle around her.

"Can you hear me? We're going to get you out of here. Just stay with me. You're going to be okay."

The man looked up at Vosa as she crouched next to him and Williams prepared to drag him off. He smiled weakly as he gazed at the blonde Padawan now opposite him.

"You…you're so beautiful…"

"Just stay with me. Do you hear me? Stay with me!"

Dooku felt some of his confidence in his Padawan return as he heard the resolve return to her voice.

_She might redeem herself yet._

Williams took charge of the situation as Vosa tried to send the wounded soldier comfort through the Force.

"Alright. Padawan Vosa, here's the plan. Get your lightsaber out and get ready to deflect anything the Mandos throw at you. On the count of three, I'll drag this man off while you stand in front of us and make sure a Mando bolt doesn't find either of us. Can you do that?"

"Yes…yes, Lieutenant."

"Ready? One…two…THREE!"

Vosa ignited her lightsaber as Williams pulled the man from his position against the log and slung his arms under the man's shoulders. He turned to his remaining men as he prepared to begin dragging the casualty back to the ship.

"COVERING FIRE!"

At the order, every man in the squad stood up and began firing madly at the Mandalorian positions. Dooku noticed that not a single one of them hesitated to fire once the order was given, and every man stood as tall as he could, heedless of his own safety.

_Their comrade's life is on the line, and they know it. And they'll gladly give their lives if it means saving his._

As the Judicials opened fire, Williams threw a smoke grenade in front of the log and began dragging the casualty backwards, with Vosa standing in front of him, holding her lightsaber up and blocking the sporadic Mandalorian fire coming in on them. The three gradually disappeared into the trees as Dooku's mind went back to the trapped Jedi.

_With Williams occupied back at the ship, there's no way I'll be able to get the Judicials to help. I need him to coordinate a relief effort, and now he's not here._

As if punctuating his sentence, Dooku's commlink crackled to life. Now, the lead Jedi on the other end sounded more or less resigned to his fate, a twinge of fear in his voice.

"They're not coming for us, are they, Master?"

The young Knight's words split Dooku's heart in two like the blade of an ax. The Jedi Master could only sit in silence, a lump in his throat and a tear in his eye.

"It's been an honor serving with you, Master."

* * *

The usually bright Coruscant skies were appropriately dark and gloomy as the shuttle approached the main entrance to the Jedi Temple. Virtually every member of the Jedi Order present at the Temple, from the younglings to every single member of the Jedi Council, stood packed together in the cold air under the great Temple pillars as the white-robed, anonymous Temple sentinels lined the path leading into the Temple itself, their lightsabers deactivated and held at their sides. The shuttle touched down gently, and after a few seconds, its ramp slowly lowered. Out of its hold came a party of Sentinels, escorting a casket held on a repulsorlift frame. The casket was draped in a white banner, with the winged lightsaber emblem of the Jedi Order at its center, facing up serenely at the grey morning air. Behind them, more Sentinels came, escorting identical caskets. Thirteen-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in silence, watching the anonymous Sentinels move the caskets along the path towards the Temple entrance as he felt his Master's hand on his shoulder. He and everyone else in the Temple knew what had happened. The HoloNet had been bogged down with the news ever since it broke: it was the bloodiest day the Jedi Order had experienced since the Battle of Ruusan a thousand years ago. Twenty Jedi led by his grand-Master Dooku had gone to fight the Mandalorians on Galidraan, and eleven of them had perished, as well as all of the Mandalorians. Now, those eleven were making their last trip across the galaxy, back to the Jedi Temple where their funeral pyres awaited. At a call from Master Windu, the Sentinels lining the path brought their lightsabers up to their chins and activated them, the blades shooting skywards as the Sentinels held the yellow beams centimeters from their lips. The pallbearers continued down the path slowly and solemnly, the caskets hovering alongside their guardians. Looking to his right, Obi-Wan saw his friend Bant Eerin standing at the side of her Master, Tahl. The two exchanged a glance before turning back to the funeral procession. Turning to his left, Obi-Wan saw his other friend, Siri Tachi, looking out over the sobering spectacle with her Master, Council member Adi Gallia. Obi-Wan and Siri had recently come back from a dangerous mission to Kegan, where their previously frosty relationship had warmed in the face of shared hardship. She was a tough and feisty girl, but for the first time in her life since he had met her, Obi-Wan could sense unease in her. Looking around, though, he sensed she was not alone.

_This entire crowd is swimming in sadness. It's understandable, given such a terrible tragedy._

Obi-Wan's mind inexplicably went back to the previous night, when he had peered out of his room and caught a glimpse of his Master escorting a stiff-legged Master Dooku into Master Qui-Gon's quarters.

* * *

As Obi-Wan looked out over the funeral procession, Qui-Gon briefly turned to Tahl, now standing next to him. She gave him a reassuring glance before turning back to the somber proceedings of the funeral. After a moment, she reached out to Qui-Gon through their lovers' Force bond.

_What a black day for the Order. That was your Master that led them, wasn't it?_

_It was, Tahl. He's been distraught about it ever since he came back. Last night, he called me at midnight and told me to pick him up at a bar. I found him, and he was drunk almost to the point of unconsciousness. I brought him back here, and had to help him get into bed. I'll never forget sitting next to him on the bed as he cried himself to sleep, able to do nothing but put my hands on his shoulders and give him empty-sounding words of reassurance. He's still in his quarters right now, in no condition to come out. And to see him, my own Master, like that…_

_Don't dwell on it, Qui-Gon. Worrying about him won't help anything. How has Obi-Wan been with all this?_

_He's as you would expect, Tahl. He's intimidated by this whole macabre show, as much as he won't show it. You can't expect a thirteen-year-old to be at ease when confronted with mortality like this, whatever the Jedi Code says about death._

_I know, Qui-Gon. Bant's been the same way, and the two of them have always been close. You and I had some rough patches in our childhoods, but nothing on this magnitude. We never had to witness the funeral procession of eleven Jedi on the same day before we were old enough to wrap our heads around the gravity of it._

As he looked out over the proceeding caskets, Qui-Gon felt Tahl's hand brush against his. He quietly took it as the pair looked on, their gesture of love unnoticed by the silent mass of Jedi.

* * *

**Eight years later…**

Obi-Wan snapped out of his meditative trance as the _Consular_ -class cruiser he and his Master were traveling on came out of hyperspace. Stepping to the window, he saw the dark orb of Mandalore, slowly growing larger through the transparisteel.

_Mandalore…I've never been there before. It's a world with a rich history, or so I've heard, but we're not here for sightseeing._

The twenty-one-year old felt a familiar Force presence approaching his stateroom. He turned around as the door opened to reveal his Master.

"Obi-Wan."

"Master?"

"We're coming up on Mandalore. We'll be landing at the palace shortly. Just remember what we went over. As usual, be on your best behavior: we're dealing with royalty here. Still, this is a dangerous planet. You must always be polite, professional, and politic, but you must also have a plan to kill anyone you meet. And Mandalorians are notoriously hard to kill, as your grand-Master found out eight years ago."

"I'm ready for whatever challenges I face, Master."

Qui-Gon stepped forward and put his hand on his Padawan's shoulder, a look of pride and concern in his eyes.

"I trust you are, my young Padawan."

* * *

"Ah, the Jedi. Right this way: Her Grace is expecting you."

The two Jedi walked through the massive doors into an opulent throne room, where a number of helmeted guards stood between them and a large throne. Upon it sat a young woman, roughly Obi-Wan's age, with medium-length blonde hair and kind blue eyes. She had soft, porcelain skin that spoke to lineage and high breeding, and there was something regal about the way she carried herself, to say nothing of her thick, heavy robes and elaborate headdress. Still, something seemed strangely off about this woman to Obi-Wan, even as he marveled at her beauty.

_Despite everything she has, she seems…afraid. Uneasy. Still, it's probably just the circumstances she's working under. Which is precisely why we're here._

The minister who had led the Jedi into the throne room stepped forward and gestured to the woman on the throne.

"Jedi, I am honored to introduce you to Her Grace Satine Kryze, the Duchess of Mandalore."

The Jedi bowed as the minister introduced them to the Duchess.

"Your Grace, this is Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Jedi Order. They have arrived for Your Grace's protection, as Your Grace requested."

"Thank you, Minister. You may leave us now."

"Yes, Your Grace."

With a bow, the Minister left the room as the Duchess addressed the Jedi.

"Jedi. I am glad to have the two of you here, given the ongoing political situation and the threat of the Death Watch."

Qui-Gon spoke for the two Jedi.

"We're glad to be of assistance, Your Grace."

The Duchess looked over the two Jedi, but for an instant too long her gaze locked on Obi-Wan. He politely smiled as the Duchess' eyes met his own before going back to Qui-Gon.

_She…why does she remind me of Siri? Is it just the hair and the eyes? Or is it the way she looks at me…no, I can't…_

Suddenly, he felt disoriented. He began stumbling around, but strangely, his Master and the Duchess seemed not to notice. Closing his eyes to get his bearings, he opened them to see Siri clinging to him, looking up at him with pure terror in her eyes. Scanning their surroundings, he saw the inside of a ship, the surface of an unknown planet rushing up at them and warning alarms blaring around them.

_Where…where did Mandalore go?_

"Obi-Wan…"

_Am…am I back on Magus' ship? Three years before Mandalore? When Siri and I first…_

The ground continued to claw up at them. Time seemed to slow down as Obi-Wan remembered the terrifying spaceflight to death where he and Siri first admitted their feelings for each other, knowing that the rushing ground, the din of alarms, and the touch of each other would be the last sensations they ever knew before passing into the Cosmic Force. With a whimper, Siri buried her head in Obi-Wan's chest. Obi-Wan held her close and shut his eyes, and the world went out with a jolt.


	2. Past, Present, and Future

**Act I**

**Contact With The Enemy**

**Chapter 1**

**Past, Present, and Future**

Obi-Wan snapped awake as the world around him whirled into focus. Looking around, he saw he was safe in his quarters at the Jedi Temple, the morning sun shining gently through the window and the scenes of Mandalore and the starship nowhere to be seen.

_A dream…it was all a dream._

He slowly climbed out of bed, the memories evoked by his dream still lingering as he headed for the shower. As he entered the fresher, he stopped to examine himself in the mirror, running his eyes over his worn-out form with a sigh.

_You've seen a lot, Kenobi. Just take a shower, and you'll be ready to face a new day._

As he showered, Obi-Wan thought on the events of the previous months. The Jedi Order had been at war with the rebellious Yinchorri, a Force-resistant alien species that had launched a campaign of terror and conquest against the Republic. They had even attacked the Jedi Temple itself, killing two Jedi and setting the Order's wrath upon them. Obi-Wan and his Master had just come back from the war's final campaigns, having defeated the Yinchorri and ended the threat despite great losses to the Jedi. Adi and Siri had also been there, and Obi-Wan recalled with some shame how relieved he had been to hear that Siri too had survived the war.

_Attachment…I'm better than that. I'm better than that, damn it._

The two had attempted to abandon their feelings for each other and never speak of them again after the mission to protect Taly Fry six years earlier, but the events of last year made it clear that this noble-minded but short-sighted pact would no longer work. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had been sent to investigate the murder of one of Qui-Gon's old friends, Jedi Master Figaro Leet. The investigation had soon escalated into a hunt for a black market Sith antiquities smuggling ring that Leet had been investigating, and both Siri and her Master were roped into the investigation. For the first time in five years, the two Padawans had been thrust into a mission together, and their old feelings gradually resurfaced in the face of multiple life-or-death situations. Now, they worked harder than ever in an increasingly futile effort to bury their attraction to each other. Their old friendship, which had drifted apart for the five years since, was slowly beginning to rebuild itself. However, that friendship always threatened to develop into something more, something forbidden. Obi-Wan told himself he could continue to manage, that he could continue to pretend like there was nothing there as he had resolved six years ago, but a nagging voice in his head kept telling him it was pointless; a voice that grew in intensity with each passing day. His mind went back to the medical bay of a starship on its way back to Coruscant after the mission, when he had narrowly survived a potentially fatal injury. Siri came in to him one night, and the two shared an intimate moment, barely managing to end it before it went past the point of no return. And, much to his regret, he didn't do anything to stop her until the two were on the verge of undressing each other.

_Do you really regret that, though? Do you?_

As they had that night, the Jedi and the man within Obi-Wan found themselves at loggerheads, neither able to break the other's will to win. Coming back to the here and now for a moment, he realized he had simply been standing under the running water for what seemed like hours, lost in thought.

_Get a grip, Kenobi. Get washed up and get ready to face a new day._

As he washed, Obi-Wan attempted to reassure himself.

_It's a new day, Obi-Wan…a new day. But it's also a new day. It's new and full of possibility…but who knows what it might bring?_

He slowly stopped his racing mind, releasing his anxiety into the Force.

_At least it won't bring another war. The last thing I need is another war after the past few months._

* * *

Obi-Wan took the last sip of his morning coffee, letting the bitter fluid run down his gullet with a satisfying _gurgle_. He sat there for a few moments, savoring the aftertaste as the beverage slowly but surely energized him for the day ahead. As he slowly stood up from his table, he sensed a familiar Force presence approaching him. He already knew who it was before turning to look at her. True to form, she spoke first.

"Good morning, Obi-Wan."

"Siri."

Her voice was unusually cheerful, let alone in his presence.

_She's never this perky._

"You just finish that coffee?"

"I did."

"You feel like another? I was going to get one myself."

Briefly considering his options, Obi-Wan took the plunge.

"I'll take you up on that."

The two Padawans quickly grabbed their drinks and moved to a small table near a window looking out over the Coruscant skyline. Obi-Wan pulled Siri's chair out for her before taking his own seat, upon which she nervously smiled.

"Thank you."

"No problem. You sleep well?"

She took a sip of her coffee before responding.

"Very."

"So, what have you been up to recently?"

"Not much. Everything's been quiet since the defeat of the Yinchorri. Just meditation, training, eating, and sleeping. Rinse and repeat."

"Same thing here. Still, after all that's happened over the past several months, it feels nice to have a break."

"You said it."

As he sipped at his coffee, Obi-Wan caught himself looking at Siri as she did the same.

_I remember when I first met her, when she was chewing on a piece of fruit and staring daggers at me. She admitted six years ago, when we thought we were going to die on that starship, that she wanted to make me angry. That she thought I wasn't worthy to be a Jedi after leaving the Order for the war on Melida/Daan. And now…_

He noticed a slight smile coming onto her features as their gazes met and locked on to each other. As slowly and calmly as he could, he turned his eyes away from her and looked out the window to the skyline. Seeing the passing speeders, his mind went back to another day, and the beginnings of another romance…

* * *

**Mandalore, three years earlier…**

Passing speeders cut through the fading light over Sundari as Obi-Wan gazed out the window of the bedroom he and his Master had been assigned to. Despite their status as off-worlders, their access to the Duchess had granted them a large, luxurious bedchamber in the palace, with a view overlooking the Sundari skyline. Still, Obi-Wan found it difficult to adjust to the domed city's artificial night and day cycles.

_I can't imagine how the Mandalorians live like this. At least Coruscant has wide-open skies! Living inside this giant dome permanently would feel like prison!_

"Just get used to it, Padawan. We'll be here for a while, and everyone here needs your focus. Besides, these accommodations are far beyond anything we usually get."

"The perks of protecting royalty, I suppose."

Qui-Gon chuckled at his apprentice's comment before his expression turned serious once more.

"Don't get complacent, Obi-Wan. We may have all this luxury surrounding us, but behind it lays real danger. We're not here for a vacation."

"Who's the problem here, anyway, Master?"

"Don't be so cocky, Padawan. The Duchess has many enemies, and they all hail from one of the finest warrior traditions in the galaxy. Being an avowed pacifist in this society and then attempting to claim power in the midst of a civil war is an extremely dangerous move indeed."

Obi-Wan thought back to the Duchess, to how she had glanced at him, ever so briefly, when they first met. Involuntarily, a slight smirk went over his features as he spoke.

"She is certainly a brave young woman to challenge such a status quo, Master."

Qui-Gon's reply was stern and authoritative, a dour expression on his face.

"Mind your thoughts, Obi-Wan. I know that look when I see it. We went through this with Lena Cobral, four years ago. And all this is to say nothing of what happened the following year with Padawan Tachi. Remember the conversation you had with Master Yoda and myself afterwards. I will not have you become infatuated with another young woman we are working alongside. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied, chastened by his Master's sudden severity…

* * *

**Present day…**

"Obi-Wan?"

The film reel of the memory slowly began to fade with the sound of Siri's voice.

"Obie?"

At this, Obi-Wan snapped out of his trance and turned towards Siri. The title was a pet name she had given him during their mission together a year earlier, often used during the various intimate moments the two had shared. The forbidden feelings it evoked made him dread its use, but she already knew this and occasionally used it to get his attention because of this fact.

"What?"

Obi-Wan's reply was unusually harsh. Siri recoiled slightly at the sharp bark of his voice.

"Are you alright? You've been staring out the window all this time."

"I'm…I'm fine. Just memories. You know I don't like it when you call me that."

"Yes, I do. I wouldn't have done it otherwise."

_She still knows how to annoy me._

Before the two could say anything further, they sensed a familiar Force presence approaching them. Soon, a voice called their names.

"Kenobi. Tachi."

"Yes?"

"Yes, Master Sifo-Dyas?"

The Jedi Master walked over to the table as the Padawans rose from their seats. A Council member and close friend of Qui-Gon's master, Dooku, Sifo-Dyas had aided Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and later Adi and Siri, in their mission against the Sith artifact smuggling ring the previous year; providing intelligence and spending countless hours in the Jedi Archives to follow up on leads the four Jedi in the field had discovered. He deserved as much credit for the success of the investigation as its investigators did, and he had quickly warmed to both the Padawans and their Masters during the course of the investigation. To Obi-Wan and Siri, he had slowly become an uncle, a trusted mentor and ally in an increasingly chaotic galaxy.

"Report to the Council Chamber immediately. Your Masters are waiting there."

_What's going on here? He doesn't sound angry, but he does sound urgent._

"Is there something wrong, Master?"

"Not necessarily, Obi-Wan. There's a new matter that's come up, and it's best if we discuss this in front of the Council. Follow me, both of you."

Master Sifo-Dyas led the two out of the mess hall and towards the Council Chamber. As he walked along, Obi-Wan felt Siri's hand brush against his own. The two sent each other comfort through the Force as they wondered what kind of "new matter" they would be stepping into in the next five minutes.


	3. Torchlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Delta-6 Sprite is the predecessor to the better-known Delta-7 Aethersprite of Clone Wars fame. It resembles the Delta-7, but does not have an astromech. There's not much official information on the Delta-6 itself, so much of the cockpit layout and other minor aspects of the craft are my own creation. For those interested, I used the F-8 Crusader as my muse for the Delta-6, specifically the F-8A (F8U-1 prior to 1962) model: I've always seen the Delta-series Jedi starfighters as the in-universe equivalent of the F-8 for some reason. The hyperspace booster docking switches and their locations are based on the in-flight refueling controls of the F8U-1. The Sylure-24 is entirely my own creation, based on the Sylure hyperspace boosters used by both the Delta-7 and the Eta-2 Actis Jedi starfighters in official canon. The Delta-7 uses the Sylure-31, and the Eta-2 the Sylure-45. The ejection seat safety pins mentioned here are taken directly from the real-world ejection seats used by later models of the Crusader, as well as modern aircraft using Martin-Baker seats (the F8U-1, at least initially, used a unique seat made by the aircraft's manufacturer, as was done on a number of US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft prior to the universal adoption of Martin-Baker seats by the Navy and Marine Corps, so its inclusion on the in-universe equivalent of the F8U-1 differs somewhat from real-world historical fact.) The pins prevent the seat handle from moving far enough to fire the seat, so as to prevent accidental firing of the seat on the ground (which will kill anyone in and around the cockpit, as many real-world examples demonstrate.) The yellow jerseys worn by the Jedi Temple starfighter handlers are a nod to the yellow jerseys worn by plane handlers and other flight deck personnel involved in the movement of aircraft on the flight deck aboard US Navy aircraft carriers.

**Chapter 2**

**Torchlight**

Sifo-Dyas exited the turbolift with the Padawans behind him, the other members of the Council already in their seats. Qui-Gon stood at the center of the room, turning to face the three newcomers as they entered the Council Chamber. The Padawans walked to Qui-Gon's side as Sifo-Dyas took his seat. Curiously, a large holoprojector stood along the edge of the room, next to Sifo-Dyas' seat. Master Yoda opened the session.

"Have any objections, do you?"

No one responded.

"Then in session, this briefing is. Have the floor, you do, Master Sifo-Dyas."

"Thank you, Master Yoda."

Sifo-Dyas stood up and gestured for the Padawans and Qui-Gon to make way as he wheeled the holoprojector into the center of the room with the Force. He stopped it right in the center of the room and walked to it as Qui-Gon and the Padawans looked on. He threw a switch on the device, and an image came up of a man clad in a distinctive, elaborate suit of armor, a red lightsaber in his hand raised to the sky in a gesture of triumph. Examining the image, Obi-Wan noticed that the armor had clear Mandalorian accents in its styling and color. He felt a wave of recognition from his Master as he realized this.

_He knows as well. And he remembers everything that happened three years ago. Who is this, though? Between the armor and the red lightsaber, this image must be thousands of years old!_

"This, ladies and gentlemen, is Fen Kinonsi, otherwise knows as Darth Dominius. He was born to Mandalorian colonists on the world of Kokeem, the son of a botanist and a blacksmith."

"Kokeem?"

Without missing a beat, Sifo-Dyas threw another switch on the holoprojector, bringing up an image of a large tan orb striped with green, floating in space.

"It's a small planet in the Mandalore system, Qui-Gon. Its terrain is mostly savanna and rivers, with scattered patches of jungle as well as a few prominent mountain ranges and lakes. Thousands of years ago, it was home to a Mandalorian colony due to its relatively abundant natural resources. It was into that colony that Fen Kinonsi was born. Initially, he followed in his father's footsteps as a blacksmith, and showed talent from a young age at metalworking, even with _beskar_. However, he also had a set of far more unusual abilities, ones that no one in his small community was able to explain. That is, until Ulic Qel-Droma's takeover of the Mandalorian Crusaders from Mandalore the Indomitable. Qel-Droma, visiting Kokeem on the eve of the Great Sith War, recognized that Kinonsi was Force-sensitive and offered him a place within the Sith. With the Great Sith War on the horizon, Kinonsi joined Exar Kun's Sith Empire, seeking power and glory for himself. Performing excellently in battle, he was given the title Darth Dominius and made governor of Kokeem on behalf of the Sith Empire. With the defeat of Kun, however, he found himself cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Kokeem became his own private dominion to do with as he pleased, and he ruled as a tyrant for decades after the end of the Great Sith War. Upon his death, he was buried in an elaborate tomb at the foot of one of the planet's mountain ranges. However, the years following his death saw his victims erase all mention of him from planetary records or monuments, and the location of his tomb was lost to history."

Qui-Gon chimed in, clearly confused by this lecture.

"And all of this means what, Master Sifo-Dyas?"

"Dominius' armor and his lightsaber, Qui-Gon."

"What?"

"In addition to his other skills, Darth Dominius was an expert in Sith alchemy. Combined with his blacksmithing skills, this made him a tremendously skilled maker of weapons and armor, able to craft tools that any Mandalorian would have gladly carried into battle, while being infused with the dark side of the Force and all the power that brought. His armor and his lightsaber were made of _beskar_ , infused with the power of the dark side. Stories abound of Dominius accomplishing almost impossible feats in battle, even for a Sith. His armor remained unscathed even through the fiercest battles, his lightsaber cutting through anything with ease. It's even said his lightsaber possessed the power to cut through _beskar_. His armor is also believed to have been designed to enhance his connection to the Force."

"So you want to find his lightsaber and armor, then?"

"I want _you_ to find his tomb, Qui-Gon. Along with your Padawan as well as Master Gallia and her Padawan. These artifacts are a source of tremendous power and must be kept by the Jedi Order for study and safekeeping. Not left out on some backwater planet for anyone to find and use for their own ends. And where the tomb is, the artifacts will be there as well."

Obi-Wan could sense reluctance in his Master at the thought of this treasure hunt.

_What's he so concerned about?_

"What is the current state of affairs on Kokeem, then?"

"We don't know. It's currently outside of Republic jurisdiction. The four of you will have to travel there and ascertain the political situation. Once that has been accomplished, you will proceed to search for the tomb as you see fit. Inform us once you've located the entrance to Dominius' crypt, and we'll send in an archaeological team. In conjunction with them, you will then enter the tomb and recover the lightsaber and armor, and return to the Jedi Temple. This should be relatively simple once you've made contact with the planet's leaders, but be prepared for anything nonetheless. We have no idea where the tomb is or how the planet's leaders will react to your presence. Still, we expect this to be an easy, brief mission. Something to help you come down after the recent conflict on Yinchorr."

* * *

Qui-Gon continued to pack his bag as he went over the details of the mission in his mind, a sense of dread hanging over him. Just then, he sensed a familiar Force presence entering his room. He turned to see Adi entering the room, her bag in hand.

"Siri's packed and ready, Qui-Gon. Is Obi-Wan ready yet?"

"He's almost done, Adi. I'll be finished in a few minutes."

Adi slowly walked over to a chair in the corner of the room and sat down as Qui-Gon continued to pack. After a few moments' silence, she spoke again.

"I sense dread in you, Qui-Gon. Are you alright?"

Qui-Gon tried not to look at her as he gave his half-hearted reply.

"I'm fine."

Looking up briefly, he could tell by Adi's facial expression that she wasn't convinced.

"I know that tone of voice, Qui-Gon. You're not fine. Even in the Council Chamber, I could tell something was wrong."

_I might as well confess. We know each other well enough that she won't reprimand me, unlike the rest of the Council._

Qui-Gon briefly ceased packing and walked to the other side of his bed, sitting down across from Adi.

"This mission…it came out of nowhere. Weeks of nothing since Yinchorr, and all of a sudden the Council sends us off to some backwater planet to hunt for mythical Sith artifacts? Something seems strange about it."

"This is about more than just an unexpected mission, Qui-Gon. You and I both know that."

_Perceptive as always. Damn it._

A look of realization suddenly went over Adi's features as she seemed to grasp the root of the problem.

"You think searching for these artifacts is a mistake, don't you?"

"These artifacts have been hidden for many centuries, Adi. And only now the Council is interested in them? If the Force wanted us to find this lost tomb, it would have given us a way."

"Meaning?"

"I believe these artifacts weren't meant to be found, Adi. You heard what Master Sifo-Dyas said about them as clearly as I did. If what he said is correct, they're full to bursting with the power of the dark side. Already, I can feel its cloud coming over this entire endeavor. If we do find them, there's no telling what that power will do. We should let these lost totems of the Sith stay lost."

To his surprise, Adi seemed to take Qui-Gon's misgivings seriously, genuine understanding in her voice as she replied.

"I understand your position, Qui-Gon. Which is all the more reason the Jedi Order should take possession of these artifacts, rather than some malevolent entity that happens to stumble across the tomb. If those artifacts were to fall into the wrong hands, they could be used for unspeakably evil purposes, if what Master Sifo-Dyas says about them is true. We can't just leave this potential threat where it is and hope no one else finds it!"

_And the Council member still sides with the Council. I won't jeopardize our friendship by bringing it up, but she knows my feelings about the Council nonetheless. Right now, they're so preoccupied with that fact that they can chase this tiger that they never stop and consider if they should._

"I know, Adi…I just have a bad feeling about this."

_And I know nothing good will come of it, regardless of what the Council thinks._

* * *

The four Jedi stepped into the Temple's starfighter hangar, their bags slung over their backs. In front of them, rows upon rows of small alcoves lined the walls, each holding an example of the distinctive wedge-shaped Delta-6 Sprite. Jedi maintenance technicians and maintenance droids surrounded the starfighters, working on various components and pulling panels off of the fuselages, exposing the vessels' guts to all onlookers. Sifo-Dyas stood on the flight line, with Master Saesee Tiin by his side. Turning towards the four Jedi, Sifo-Dyas motioned them to approach. They walked over and stood in a huddle around Sifo-Dyas and Master Tiin as Sifo-Dyas spoke.

"You're all here. Good. We need to go over a few last-minute details before you leave. Firstly, I'll be your point of contact here at the Temple. This is no different from what we did with Lok'ayy last year: call me once you have leads. My callsign will be CODEX. If you need to contact me, call OLD FOLKS' HOME and ask for CODEX. The Council can set up the rest. Secondly, your callsign for this will be TORCHLIGHT. That applies to the four of you collectively, but as Master Gallia is the ranking member of the group, she will be in overall command and answer to the callsign TORCHLIGHT ACTUAL. If I call you asking for TORCHLIGHT ACTUAL, I'm asking specifically for Master Gallia. Understood?"

The four Jedi nodded in assent.

"Good. Now, I'll hand things over to Master Tiin. He'll walk you through the flying side of this mission, as he's the resident starfighter jockey here."

Sifo-Dyas stepped back, and Master Tiin took over the briefing.

"I have your starfighters warming up now. You'll be going out as a four-ship flight. Form up once you've cleared the hangar and head for the hyperspace ring marshal point. I've uploaded the nav coordinates you'll need to get to Kokeem to your starfighters' nav computers: all you need to do is dock with the rings and get moving. We'll use your collective callsign for the flight as well. Master Gallia, you will be flight lead, TORCHLIGHT 1-1. Master Jinn, you will be element lead, TORCHLIGHT 1-3. Padawans, you will serve as your Masters' wingmen. Padawan Tachi, that makes you TORCHLIGHT 1-2. Padawan Kenobi, you are TORCHLIGHT 1-4, tail-end Charlie. We don't know much about Kokeem, so you'll have to choose your own landing site. If you have to operate out in the wilderness, just remember your starfighters have portable shelters and other survival equipment in their cargo compartments."

Master Tiin paused for effect before continuing.

"Any questions? No? Good. Follow me to your ships."

The four Jedi followed Master Tiin to a series of hangar bays, where their starfighters awaited. Obi-Wan walked up to the rear of his fighter and opened its cargo compartment door, tossing his bag in and shutting the compartment. He mounted the starboard wing and climbed into the cockpit, wiggling into the seat and securing his harness before donning his headset and closing the canopy. The canopy slid down and locked into position with a _hiss_ as the cockpit pressurized and Obi-Wan scanned the preflight checklist holoscreen mounted on the left side of the instrument panel. He shifted his eyes from the list to the instruments, going down the list and checking the Delta-6's various functions. Finishing the checklist, he reached down between his legs and removed the safety pin from the Delta-6's ejection seat. The ominous hornet-striped handle stood out against the drab grey cockpit as Obi-Wan sat upright again.

_Here's hoping I won't need to use it._

Obi-Wan reached for his comms control panel and set his craft's radio to the Jedi Temple's departure frequency, immediately tuning in to the ongoing conversation between Master Gallia and the controller.

"…request takeoff clearance."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, Tower. Winds 290, at 10. Cleared for takeoff, change to departure."

Obi-Wan switched his radio to the departure control frequency and continued to go over his systems as the rest of the flight took off, scanning the outside hangar for any sign of the yellow-vested fighter handlers with their glowing batons. Slowly, he heard the familiar voices of his flight on the radio, confirming their status.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, airborne."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-2, airborne."

Before hearing his Master's voice, the handler finally came into view, his yellow vest contrasting sharply with his Jedi robes. He motioned for Obi-Wan to taxi out of his fighter's alcove, and the Padawan activated the Delta-6's repulsorlift taxiing system. He felt the _lurch_ of the craft leaving the hangar floor as the handler motioned him forwards. As he came into the hangar, Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of his Master's fighter shooting forward into the Coruscant sky through the hangar's narrow opening. The handler motioned for Obi-Wan to halt as his Master's voice lit up the airwaves.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-3, airborne."

Obi-Wan looked to his front as the handler left his line of travel. A large light hanging over the hangar entrance shone bright red. The Padawan tensed his left arm to push the throttle forward, his right hand tightly gripping the control stick between his legs. Adrenaline surged through him, his heart pounding faster and faster as he waited for the signal. Finally, the red light turned green.

_Here we go!_

Obi-Wan slowly moved the throttle forward, and the Delta-6 responded smartly, the light at the end of the hangar rushing up at the Padawan more and more rapidly. As he cleared the threshold, the throttle hit the end of its track, and the light of the Coruscant afternoon flooded into the cockpit. He was vaguely aware of his finger pressing the _talk_ button on the throttle as he left the hangar.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, airborne."

* * *

Looking up from his Master's ship to his left, Obi-Wan saw a small, silver speck coming into view in the distance. As the speck grew larger, smaller specks became visible along its periphery, small lights illuminating them for the approaching Jedi.

_The hyperspace booster farm. I should hear Master Gallia contacting the control spire any minute. Once that's done, we just need to dock with our hyperspace boosters and head off to Kokeem._

Adi's voice buzzed over the radio.

"SLINGSHOT, TORCHLIGHT Lead. Flight is inbound. Over."

"TORCHLIGHT Lead, SLINGSHOT, cleared for approach. Proceed to marshal stack and await further instructions. Over."

"SLINGSHOT, TORCHLIGHT Lead. Wilco. Out."

Obi-Wan glanced down at his fighter's navigational readout, following the arrow towards the marshal point. Arriving at the point, the flight began orbiting it, waiting for the controller's reply. After what seemed like hours, the controller gave his response.

"TORCHLIGHT Lead, SLINGSHOT. You are cleared to push to Sector Gamma. Proceed to dock with hyperspace rings and continue to your destination. May the Force be with you. Out."

Obi-Wan quickly pulled up the Sector Gamma waypoint on his Delta-6's nav computer and pulled into formation with the rest of the flight as they continued towards it. The vast number of potential Jedi that needed hyperspace rings was such that a designated area, commonly known as the "farm", had been set up in orbit over Coruscant. The farm was divided further into sectors, each sector containing an assortment of the Sylure-24 hyperspace boosters used by the Delta-6 for hyperspace travel, colloquially known as "rings" due to their shape. The rings were equipped to refuel the notoriously short-legged starfighters while the craft were docked with them, and each carried a Class 2 hyperdrive as well as a data-link system to connect to the Delta-6's nav computer for hyperspace jumps. Spare supplies, ship parts, and fresh oxygen for the Delta-6's life-support systems were also carried in various containers mounted to the booster. The Delta-6 itself was equipped with a radar system to allow the pilot to dock with the ring, enabled by a switch on the upper left of the instrument panel. Aided by various indicators on the ship's HUD, the pilot would steer the craft into position and then initiate the docking with another switch on the upper right of the panel. Obi-Wan marveled at the incredible complexity of his craft as the flight continued towards Sector Gamma.

_Kuat Systems Engineering really outdid themselves here._

Finally, the flight arrived at Sector Gamma, and Master Gallia came in over an open frequency.

"TORCHLIGHT, switch to frequency 899.30."

Obi-Wan tuned to the prescribed frequency on his radio control panel. Adi spoke again.

"TORCHLIGHT, comm check, comm check, comm check."

One by one, Siri's and then Qui-Gon's voice came over the airwaves.

"TORCHLIGHT, 1-1, TORCHLIGHT 1-2. Five by five, Master."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, TORCHLIGHT 1-3. Your signal is five by five, Master Gallia."

Obi-Wan pressed the talk button on the throttle.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, TORCHLIGHT 1-4. I read you five by five, Master Gallia."

"Then we're set. TORCHLIGHT Flight, split up and dock with a ring. Report in once you're finished."

Obi-Wan split off and found a ring. He flipped the radar switch to "ON", and a display came up on his fighter's HUD, guiding him in. He gently maneuvered the craft towards the ring, until the display lit up green and a _beeping_ sound of approval blared through his headset. A red warning message reading "DOCK" flashed onto the HUD. Turning to his right, he flipped the docking switch to its "DOCK" position, and the Delta-6 playfully hopped upwards into the waiting docking clamps of the ring. As he felt the clamps grasp his ship, Obi-Wan heard the voices of the rest of the flight.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, docking complete."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-2, I have docked with the ring."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-3, hyperspace ring docking complete."

Obi-Wan thumbed the talk button as he hovered his hand over his craft's nav computer controls.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, docking is complete."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1 to flight, prepare for jump to hyperspace. Report in once your nav computers are set."

Obi-Wan was already setting his nav computer, and with a few button presses he was ready.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4 is ready for jump to hyperspace."

Over the following seconds, Qui-Gon and Siri chimed in, reporting that they too were ready. Adi gave her final reply.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1 is ready for jump to hyperspace. Flight, prepare to jump into hyperspace on my mark."

As another adrenaline dump hit him, Obi-Wan felt Siri reach out to him through their Force bond. Despite the potential risk of another mission, he sensed cheerfulness and confidence in her.

_Here we go, Obie. Another day, another credit._

He chuckled at her irreverence.

_See you in a few, Siri._

Master Gallia counted down.

"3…2…1…mark!"

Obi-Wan activated his fighter's hyperdrive, and the stars around him stretched into the winding, maddening tunnel of hyperspace. He sat back in his seat, attempting to meditate. Inexplicably, as he drifted into a trance, his thoughts again went back to Mandalore…

* * *

**Three years earlier…**

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon entered a large meeting room in the Sundari Royal Palace, their visitors already across from them at the other end of a table. The Duchess herself sat across from the two, while two men stood on either side of her. The man on her right, a muscular man clad in blue-silver armor with close-cropped black hair and a chiseled face, stepped forward to greet the Jedi.

"Good morning, Jedi. I am Binn Svest, Captain of Her Grace's guard, and this is Inspector Brun of the Royal Mandalorian Police Service, Special Branch."

"Good morning, Captain. I am Master Qui-Gon Jinn of the Jedi Order and this is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Captain Svest shook hands with the two Jedi as Inspector Brun approached and did the same. Brun was a fit, slim man, shorter than his Royal Guard counterpart, with auburn hair and a freckled face. Despite his somewhat youthful and innocent appearance, something about his demeanor told Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon that he was not a man to be trifled with. Svest gestured for the group to sit down.

"Without further ado, Jedi, Your Grace. Let's get this briefing started."

Captain Svest took a seat and turned to the Jedi.

"So, as you are most likely aware, Her Grace was crowned Duchess of Mandalore several months ago. We've been in the midst of a civil war for years now, between Her Grace's faction and various rebel groups."

"Why?"

"Her Grace promotes pacifism and a separation from our old, warlike ways. Many of these groups see the old warrior culture of Mandalore as an indispensible part of Mandalorian identity, and see pacifism as an insult to their way of life. They will not consent to being ruled by a pacifist, and they have fought against our forces ever since Her Grace took the throne."

Inspector Brun then joined in.

"I've lost a number of my officers already to various terrorist attacks. Last week alone, two officers were killed when their patrol speeder hit an IED just a few blocks from here. The day after, another was shot dead in his speeder while he was stopped at a traffic light. We've had to set up checkpoints on street corners throughout the city, and even those have come under attack. The situation is grim indeed, and we can't handle it ourselves."

"Who exactly are you fighting here? 'Various rebel groups' is too vague for us; we need to know our enemy."

"There are various groups, Master Jinn. But, the most prominent is the Death Watch."

"The Death Watch?"

"They've long been a thorn in Mandalore's side. They began as a splinter faction of Mandalorian warriors seeking to fight wars without the restrictions of the rules of war established by the ruling _Mand'alor,_ Jaster Mareel. They fought against Mareel's forces, the so-called 'True Mandalorians' or Supercommandos, for years. The Supercommandos were defeated eight years ago at the Battle of Galidraan, by you _Jettise_. Ever since, the Death Watch has had a free hand to harass Her Grace's faction, the New Mandalorians."

"How dangerous are they?"

"Very. Remember, I told you they were set up by those that wanted to disregard the rules of war. They may wear fancy armor, but underneath that they're savages, to a man. They are extremely violent and sadistic, and Her Grace's ascension has only driven them to even more violent behavior. And remember that, like most Mandalorians, they were raised to hate the Jedi and are armed almost entirely with weapons originally designed for use against Jedi. Don't take them lightly."

Obi-Wan simply sat and listened, taking in this information and wondering what kind of insurmountable challenge protecting the Duchess would be.

_The opposition is certainly quite powerful. Looks like we'll have our work cut out for us…_


	4. The Welcome Wagon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TAO is an acronym for "Tactical Action Officer", a senior officer aboard a US Navy warship that conns the ship in time of battle if and when the captain is unavailable. He has access to all information gathered by the ship's various watchstanders (sensor operators, lookouts, etc.) and is granted very broad authority, including weapons release authority. He is effectively an acting captain. EW is an acronym for "Electronics Warfare," or the sensor suite of a ship that picks up various electronic signals, such as radar emissions or radio transmissions. Many of these emissions can be picked up and traced in a certain direction, thus allowing a ship's captain to know where his enemies are and, due to the differences in certain types of emissions and certain makes and models of sensors on certain platforms, tell who his enemies are.
> 
> In case any readers get confused about who is who in the space battle, here is a refresher list of callsigns and their corresponding characters:
> 
> TORCHLIGHT 1-1: Adi
> 
> TORCHLIGHT 1-2: Siri
> 
> TORCHLIGHT 1-3: Qui-Gon
> 
> TORCHLIGHT 1-4: Obi-Wan
> 
> The flight is set up using the "Finger Four" formation, which is split into two elements. One is the flight lead, while Three is what's known as "element lead", the second-most experienced pilot in the flight after One. Two and Four are wingmen to One and Three, respectively. When the flight operates as a four-ship flight, One generally shoots while the rest of the flight protects One. Of course, in the fluid circumstances of aerial combat, this can change rapidly. If One cannot engage (say One's guns fail to function) or if One is separated from the rest of the flight, then Three is the designated alternate shooter. If the flight needs to split, Three and Four can go off on their own while One and Two can do the same. In Three's case, Three becomes the designated shooter for the second element (which is why Three is known as "element lead") with Four protecting Three. One fills the same role in the first element, with Two covering One. The flight's formation resembles the fingers of an outstreched hand, hence the "Finger Four" name. It was developed by the Luftwaffe during World War II, and saw its heyday in the 1950s, particularly during the Korean War. While it has since fallen somewhat out of favor in lieu of even more fluid formations (particularly combat spread), it was extremely popular in the era of air combat that Star Wars starfighter combat emulates.

**Chapter 3**

**The Welcome Wagon**

Both the stars and Obi-Wan's mind came back into focus as the Delta-6 exited hyperspace, a tan orb rushing out of the swirling blue vortex at him before holding in place. Master Gallia's voice over the radio fully anchored him in the moment at hand.

"TORCHLIGHT Flight, TORCHLIGHT 1-1. Report in."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, TORCHLIGHT 1-2. No damage or malfunctions: all systems nominal."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, TORCHLIGHT 1-3. All systems are nominal."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, TORCHLIGHT 1-4. All systems are nominal and I'm ready to work."

"TORCHLIGHT Flight, TORCHLIGHT 1-1. Detach from your boosters and form up."

Obi-Wan detached his Delta-6 from the booster and sped forward, looking for the rest of the flight. Soon, he spotted Qui-Gon and Siri pulling into formation around Adi as she kept her craft steady and still. Obi-Wan quickly flew up to Qui-Gon's starboard wing and cut his engines, coasting to a halt as he saw Siri doing the same to Master Gallia's left on the other side of the formation.

"TORCHLIGHT Flight, TORCHLIGHT 1-1. Follow me in."

Adi powered up her engines and began heading for the planet, the rest of the flight following suit. Soon, the four starfighters hit cruising speed, their pilots holding formation and settling in for a calm trip into Kokeem's atmosphere.

* * *

The four blips on the sensor display continued on towards the planet, totally unaware of the Corellian Corvette tracking their every move.

_Smile! You're on Hidden Holocam!_

The sensor operator grasped the bridge phone and brought it to his lips, pushing the talk button.

"TAO, Sensors. Group of four bogies bearing 334, heading planetside."

"TAO acknowledges, Sensors. Continue tracking bogies."

"Understood."

_They don't seem to have noticed us, but who are they? The entire galaxy has forgotten Kokeem: why would someone be interested in it now? More importantly, WHO would be interested in it?_

* * *

"One, this is Four…"

"I sense it too, Obi-Wan. TORCHLIGHT, we might have company soon. Keep your eyes open and watch for any other craft."

Obi-Wan brought his gaze up from his instruments and began scanning outside the cockpit, looking for any sign of the danger he had sensed.

_Get your head out of the cockpit. Trouble could come up on you at any minute._

* * *

In his bridge cabin on the Corvette, the vessel's commander was munching on a piece of fruit to calm his nerves when the TAO entered the cabin.

"Mr. Hoowis? Sir?"

"What is it?"

"You'd better come see this, sir."

"The bogies? You already told me…"

"It's escalating, sir. EW is telling me that planetside emissions are going berserk. Comms, early warning, fighter sensors, flak tracking stations, SAM sensor systems, the works. Whoever these bogies are, they've scared the piss out of Husan. He's probably scrambling fighters as we speak."

"Don't launch any fighters, Harvel. Whoever our visitors are, there are only four of them. They won't last more than a few minutes against every snubfighter on the planet. And if they make it into the atmosphere, they don't have a chance against Husan's air defense systems. We'd just be throwing our precious few CloakShapes into a battle they would lose."

"Sir, what about Horn and his team? With all those fighters up…"

"It's no problem, Harvel. We wait until this dies down, and then call them back in. If Horn has to wait a few more hours, so be it. We'll still be able to extract our boys without any undue risk of losing the shuttle or leading Husan to this ship."

"Understood, sir."

"Call the crew to action stations. I'll be on the bridge momentarily."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

As he continued to scan the horizon, Siri's voice in his headset confirmed Obi-Wan's senses.

"One, this is Two. I've got sensor emissions at 2 o'clock. Fighters, by the looks of it."

As she said this, Obi-Wan's radar warning receiver buzzed to life, its distinctive rattling tone blaring through his headset. Whipping his head to the RWR display, he saw a beam emanating from between the 1 and 2 o'clock positions. The threat display light above the RWR marked "FIGHTER" lit up immediately.

_Whoever's down there must have scrambled fighters to meet us. Clearly, they don't want visitors._

"Flight, this is One. We have sensor emissions from our 2 o'clock. I will broadcast a warning on an open frequency. Weapons hold. Stay in formation."

The four starfighters held their formation as the RWR continued to rattle in Obi-Wan's ear. Then, Qui-Gon's voice boomed over the radio.

"Tally ho! Six CloakShapes, 2 o'clock!"

Turning his head towards the threat, Obi-Wan saw six small specks silhouetted against the tan of the planet, coming straight at the flight. Looking closer, he could make out the distinctive profile of the CloakShape fighter. Then, on the open frequency, he heard Master Gallia's voice.

"Attention, unidentified craft. We are representatives of the Galactic Republic, on an officially sanctioned mission. Turn away or you will be fired upon."

Several seconds passed, with no response. Adi once again spoke, her voice grimmer than before.

"Unidentified craft, this is your last warning. We are here on behalf of the Galactic Republic and are under diplomatic immunity. Turn back immediately or you will be shot down."

Again, there was no response. After several seconds of silence, Obi-Wan felt a surge of danger through the Force. A split second later, the rattle in his headset turned to a shrill _screech_ as the "FIGHTER" threat light began flashing.

_He's locked on to me!_

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, spike at 2 o'clock!"

"TORCHLIGHT, break right!"

Before Master Gallia had finished her sentence, the flight was already breaking into the oncoming CloakShapes. The fighters fired an errant volley of cannon fire, missing the Jedi by meters.

_Damn! They're shooting at us!_

"TORCHLIGHT, break and engage!"

"One, this is Three. Four and I will strip off. We can double-team them if we split into elements."

"I concur, Qui-Gon. Element, strip off and engage. Two, stay on my wing."

"Understood, Master. I'm on your wing."

The two elements separated, and Obi-Wan and Siri cut speed to drop further behind their Masters to watch their tails. Obi-Wan scanned Qui-Gon's tail as he reached down to the "MASTER ARM" switch, pushing it up into the "ON" position. The Delta-6's gunsight HUD flickered to life in front of him, its targeting display coming up blank against the open space before him.

_Of course, that will change once I get one of those CloakShapes in my sights._

"We're turning back into them, Obi-Wan. Break right on my mark, and keep an eye on my tail."

"Understood, Master."

"Now!"

Qui-Gon broke right, coming about towards the CloakShapes. Obi-Wan stayed with him, constantly checking behind the two to make sure one of the CloakShapes hadn't maneuvered behind himself or Qui-Gon. The two leveled out to see the CloakShapes splitting into three elements, attempting to position themselves at the periphery of the engagement zone to attack the Jedi from multiple directions.

"Obi-Wan, we'll take the ones on the left."

The two Deltas angled towards the left-most group of CloakShapes, wildly speeding towards the merge. Obi-Wan lined up one of the CloakShapes, but a pang of danger from the Force quickly sent him rolling out of the way as his adversary fired first. Keeping his eye on his Master's fighter, Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon in a turn to the left as the two elements merged and began turning after each other, attempting to get behind the other. The nimble Jedi craft quickly pulled in behind the CloakShapes, and after several seconds, Qui-Gon's voice came out over the radio.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-3, guns, guns, guns!"

The blaster cannons on Qui-Gon's Delta-6 barked to life, their blue bolts arcing towards the turning CloakShape. Bursts of flame emanated from the CloakShape's hull where the bolts struck it, and the enemy pilot quickly reversed his turn.

_Bad move._

Qui-Gon now had an even easier shot, and with another burst from his cannons, the CloakShape burst into flames, spiraling out of control and trailing debris as it broke apart.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-3, splash one CloakShape!"

Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder for the second CloakShape, and saw it barrel rolling behind his Master.

"Master! There's one behind you! Break left!"

Without replying, Qui-Gon broke left, in front of his apprentice, as Obi-Wan pulled in behind the CloakShape attacking Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan cleared his mind, trying not to focus on the threat to his Master's life, as he lined up for a shot.

_Calm. Steady. Let the Force guide your maneuvers as it would your lightsaber._

Focusing intently, Obi-Wan put his gunsight pipper on the CloakShape, keeping it there and waiting for the gunsight display to light up green, signifying a firing solution. The CloakShape fired an errant burst at Qui-Gon as the seconds agonizingly went by. Finally, the telltale light came on, turning the holographic display a pleasant shade of green.

_Next time, don't target fixate. You should have looked behind you._

Obi-Wan pressed his thumb down on the boresight switch at the top of his fighter's joystick, locking the gunsight's sensors onto the CloakShape as the Padawan kept the gunsight pipper on the CloakShape's hull. Roughly one second later, the "SHOOT" text cue came up on the HUD, and Obi-Wan squeezed the trigger.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, guns, guns, guns!"

Blaster bolts arced out towards the CloakShape and tore into its port stabilizer, and after a several-second burst the fighter burst into flames as the stabilizer flew off. Obi-Wan watched as the CloakShape tumbled out of control before exploding, sending a shower of debris to its front. The Padawan barrel-rolled over the debris field and reformed with his Master as he announced the kill over the radio.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, I got one! He's off your tail, Three!"

"Thank you, Four."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, guns, guns, guns!"

Looking over to his right, Obi-Wan saw another CloakShape enveloped in blaster bolts, with Adi and Siri in formation behind it. After several seconds, the CloakShape suddenly exploded, debris arcing out in front of where it had once been as Adi and Siri rolled over the debris field.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, craft eliminated. That's half of them."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-2, good kill, Master!"

Noticing something behind them, he quickly thumbed the talk button on his throttle.

"One, you've got one on your tail!"

Without a reply, Adi broke left, Siri in trail behind her. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon closed in on the two as they maneuvered with two other CloakShapes. As Master Gallia lined up on one of the enemy fighters, the other quickly pulled in on her tail. Siri shouted a warning into the radio.

"One, break! He's behind you!"

"One's padlocked, Two. He's all yours."

"Understood, Master. Three, Four, where are you?"

"We're heading towards you, Two. Go ahead. One, we're covering you and Two."

"Understood, Three."

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, guns, guns, guns!"

Looking towards Master Gallia's fighter, Obi-Wan saw blaster bolts arcing out in front of it, and a few seconds later he saw another explosion and a small dot spinning away as Adi broke off.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-1, splash four!"

By now, Siri was behind the second CloakShape, in an excellent firing position.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-2, guns, guns, guns!"

She fired a burst, but it only damaged the fighter. The CloakShape pilot broke right as Siri stayed with him, trying to line up another shot. Suddenly, Obi-Wan realized something as he felt a pang of danger from the Force.

_There were three of them left, but Siri and Master Gallia were only fighting two. Where's the third one?_

As if on command, a CloakShape came down on Siri's fighter with a slashing attack from above, its cannon blazing. Obi-Wan had already pressed the talk button.

"Two! One above you, shooting at you! Break!"

At that moment, Siri fired a burst into the fighter in front of her, sending a fifth CloakShape down in flames.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-2, splash…"

Time seemed to slow down as the third CloakShape's fire connected with Siri's Delta-6. Obi-Wan watched in horror as blaster bolts enveloped the small, wedge-shaped craft. An explosion rocked the craft's port side, and the Delta-6 spun into the ether, shedding debris as it tumbled wildly. Despite the sealed cockpit, Obi-Wan was sure everyone in the system could have heard his anguished cry as he helplessly watched Siri's fighter spin into oblivion.

"SIRI! NO!"

He felt a pang of distress from the Masters as Qui-Gon's horrified voice rang out in his headset.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-2 is down! I say again, TORCHLIGHT 1-2 is going down!"

Adi's voice was thick with anguish as she responded, and Obi-Wan could sense a swirl of raw emotions around her fighter.

"Did she get out?"

There was only silence. Obi-Wan sensed his Master's shock and reluctance to reply. Replying to Qui-Gon's silence, Master Gallia sounded like she was on the verge of bursting into tears.

"Qui-Gon? Did she get out?"

Qui-Gon hesitated before delivering his answer in as neutral a tone as he could muster, even as Obi-Wan could sense his Master struggling to control his voice.

"No. I didn't see her eject. She must have been killed instantly."

Master Gallia didn't respond verbally, but Obi-Wan sensed a wave of grief, stronger than any he had felt in another before, emanating from the cockpit of her fighter. The blast of raw emotion coming off of the usually serene Jedi Master caused Obi-Wan to double over in his seat, as if someone had struck him in the gut. The three Jedi continued to fly on in separate directions, too stunned to reform and plan their next move. As the initial shock wore off, Obi-Wan began to cry as memories of Siri played through his mind and a mixture of sadness and anger flowed through his body. He saw the tunnels of Oovo IV in his mind's eye, as Siri lay on the rocks and the pirate Nio Gwerto lay dead at his feet: the tunnels where he first thought he had lost her.

_She's…she's dead. I thought I lost her last year, in those tunnels…but she's really dead now._

The grief began to turn to rage as Obi-Wan scanned around for the remaining CloakShape. Apparently sensing his apprentice's distress, Qui-Gon spoke to him through their Force bond.

_Obi-Wan, control yourself. I can sense your sorrow and anger, but there's nothing you can do now. We have to move on. What do you think Siri would want you to do now?_

Through his sobs, Obi-Wan was barely aware of Qui-Gon's voice over the radio.

"Master Gallia?"

No response came.

"Master Gallia? Adi? We need to reform. There's no time to dwell on this. We have a mission to complete, and one more CloakShape to deal with."

"TORCHLIGHT Flight, form up on me."

Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan spotted movement against the surface of the planet. Focusing on the spot, he saw a CloakShape at his 11 o'clock, headed for the planet at top speed. A surge of anger went through him as he pressed the talk button.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, tally one CloakShape at 11 o'clock."

"TORCHLIGHT Flight, TORCHLIGHT 1-1. Form up on me. We'll follow him into the atmosphere and see if we can locate where he came from. It's our only hope for discovering what's going on here."

As he stared at the lone enemy fighter, Obi-Wan wanted desperately to break formation and ram the throttle forward; to pull in behind Siri's killer and take his revenge, watching in satisfaction as the CloakShape disintegrated under his cannon. The pull of the dark side threatened to overcome him as he struggled to release his anger into the Force.

_No…don't! Think about Siri! Is this what she would have wanted? Would she have wanted you to fall to the dark side for her sake? Taking revenge won't bring her back!_

It took every fiber of Obi-Wan's being not to slam the throttle forward as TORCHLIGHT Flight once again entered formation. As he tensed his left arm as tightly as he could to prevent it from moving, Obi-Wan heard Master Gallia's voice over the radio, sounding as burnt-out and resigned as he had ever heard her.

"TORCHLIGHT Flight, prepare for atmospheric reentry."


	5. Into the Storm

**Chapter 4**

**Into the Storm**

The officer commanding the Corvette's sensor suite watched the aftermath of the space battle play out on the sensor display before him as one of his subordinates manned the station. The furball had ended, and now a single blip was headed planetside, with three others on his tail.

_Three. There were four when they arrived. They must have lost one. Given the direction of travel, though, it looks like our interlopers got the best of Husan's boys. If the KDF won the fight, we'd see one blip running away from the planet instead of towards it. Whoever they are, they're damn good pilots to only lose one of their while almost annihilating an entire flight of enemies. I wonder who they are?_

The officer picked up the bridge phone to inform the TAO of the situation.

"TAO, Sensors. It looks like the furball has broken up, and the interlopers have won the day. We've got one of Husan's fighters limping back home, with three of our unknowns in hot pursuit. From what I can see, this fight is heading into the atmosphere. It looks like the intruders lost one, though."

"Very well, Sensors. Continue to monitor the situation. If anyone comes back into space, sound off."

"Understood, TAO."

The officer left the sensor display to check on the rest of his men as they continued to operate the ship's sensors, keeping an eye on the surrounding space for any other surprises. Then, the crewman at the sensor display turned to his commander.

"Sir! You'd better come see this!"

* * *

The atmosphere of Kokeem came into view as the Jedi continued their descent after the CloakShape. Looking at the massive vista before him, Obi-Wan saw nothing but thick clouds; the planet's surface nowhere to be seen. Flashes emanated from the clouds, filling the Padawan with a sense of foreboding.

_Storm clouds. We're diving straight into a thunderstorm._

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, I can see storm clouds ahead of us. It looks like we'll be going right into them."

"Acknowledged, Four. TORCHLIGHT 1-1 to flight, prepare for IFR conditions."

Despite his efforts to control his emotions, Obi-Wan had not been able to take his eyes off of the CloakShape in front of him. He struggled in vain to push thoughts of revenge out of his mind.

_I can't think about it…and yet he's right in front of me! He's been right in front of me this whole time!_

The clouds grew closer and closer with each second as the Jedi hurtled towards the ground. The CloakShape vanished into the clouds as Obi-Wan prepared to fly on his instruments. He cleared his mind as best he could despite the swirling emotions in him, preparing to let the Force guide his piloting. Attempting to calm himself, he recited the Jedi Code in his mind as the clouds rushed up at him.

_There is no emotion, there is peace._

_There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

_There is no passion, there is serenity._

_There is no chaos, there is harmony._

_There is no death, there is the Force._

The clouds enveloped him, and the view outside the canopy turned to a grey wall, any and all features of the outside world vanishing into the mist. Obi-Wan instinctively brought his head down to the instrument panel and let the Force flow through his body, not daring to look outside the cockpit or try to use his own faculties rather than rely on the Force.

_These ships are designed for Jedi, and their avionics are bare-bones by most standards. But, we have the Force as our ally, and the Force is stronger than any avionics suite._

As Obi-Wan scanned his instruments and sensed his surroundings, he pulled out of his dive. Looking up, he saw the Masters flying alongside him, as raindrops rushed forward at him and ran down the canopy. Inexplicably, Obi-Wan felt a sense of comfort and warmth as he took in the cockpit's atmosphere. The cockpit lights gave off a pleasant glow against the grey skies outside, and the air conditioning added to a surreal sense of coziness inside the cockpit of the Delta-6.

_Looks like we managed to maintain formation. And I'm certainly glad to be in a nice, warm, climate-controlled starfighter. That looks like one hell of a storm out there. Now…_

Blaster fire suddenly tore through the formation from behind, breaking Obi-Wan's trance and snapping him back to the reality of the mission.

_The CloakShape! He ambushed us!_

The Jedi, already running purely on instinct and instruments, broke formation and scattered into the fog. Obi-Wan lost sight of the Masters as they disappeared into the grey void.

_The Masters! Now I'm on my own!_

* * *

"Sir?"

"What is it, Harvel?"

"I've got Luto on the horn. He says he needs to speak to you."

"Can't he take it up with you?"

"Normally, but he insists that he needs to speak to you personally."

Bewildered, the Captain walked over to the TAO and grasped the phone receiver.

"What is it, Luto? You told me the fight was…

"It is, sir. But one of my men picked up a strange sensor reading in the area where the furball was."

"What sort of 'strange sensor reading?"

"It looks like a blip, sir."

"You mean another craft?"

"Yes sir, but there's no way anyone would have been able to come into the area without my knowing it. And, unlike the other contacts, this one is stationary."

The realization of what his subordinate was saying dawned on the Captain.

"You mean you think it's a disabled craft? Someone shot down and left behind during the furball?"

"It looks that way, sir."

"So, why are you telling me this?"

"It might be one of the interlopers, sir. If we can retrieve the wreckage…"

"The pilot's probably dead, Luto. You and I both know that."

"He might be, but we still might be able to glean something from that wreckage. Given how we've been ignored all these years, I can tell you for a fact that our intruders' visit was not an accident. They came here looking for something, and I believe it's in our best interest to find out who's so interested in Kokeem. And if the pilot _does_ happen to be alive…"

"I'll have to think this through, Luto. Go back to your duties; I'll contact you if I need anything else."

"Aye, sir."

The Captain hung up the receiver and stepped away from the phone, thinking his options through.

_If we stop to pick up that wreckage, we'll be leaving ourselves vulnerable. Husan could attack us, or the interlopers could, but in any case we'd be sitting ducks while we went over what might just be useless space debris. But…but Luto has a point. If this is one of the intruders, this might be our only chance to find out who they are, and why they're so interested in Kokeem. The Republic has forgotten us for many, many years, and we're all the better for avoiding their corruption. If these are Republic agents, then we'll need to react accordingly. Especially given their behavior on Galidraan, among countless other places. Husan might have gone crying to the Senate with lies about atrocities and begged for aid against us, just like that corrupt governor did. And if the pilot is still alive in this scenario, he might make a useful hostage to get the Republic off our backs. On top of all this, we'll be fixed to one position. That makes it much simpler for Horn to find us once we give him the all clear._

Considering his options for a few moments more, the Captain finally made his decision. He turned to address the TAO.

"Harvel, call Luto back. Tell him to give you a bearing on that stationary blip. He can guide you from there."

Looking bewildered, the TAO nonetheless obeyed the order.

"Aye, sir."

* * *

Obi-Wan kept his eyes on the CloakShape as the two maneuvered along the surface of Kokeem, attempting to get behind each other as the ground rushed along beneath them.

_One false move and you'll go straight into the dirt._

The CloakShape was currently in front of Obi-Wan, at his 11 o'clock position and so close that the Padawan could see the seams along his opponent's fuselage through the driving rain. However, the distance and altitude were too close and too low for the Padawan to put his gunsight on the CloakShape and finish the fight. Any sudden maneuver at these speeds would likely send the Padawan into the Kokeemi countryside faster than even a Jedi could react. And in so close a pursuit, his speed advantage in the Delta-6 was now a liability. A second's lapse in concentration would see him overshoot, and the CloakShape would drop behind Obi-Wan and send him into the surface of Kokeem with a burst of cannon fire.

_It's a high-wire act, with your life as the prize for survival._

The CloakShape suddenly broke left, attempting to bleed airspeed while hitting Obi-Wan with his engine wash. Feeling a pang of danger from the Force, Obi-Wan maneuvered out of the way of the CloakShape's engine nozzle: the power of the hot exhaust was such that it could easily throw the Delta-6 down into the terrain below. Obi-Wan gripped the stick tightly as he felt the Delta-6 shudder from the CloakShape's engine wash as the fat snubfighter crossed over to the Padawan's starboard wing, dropping dangerously close to his tail. Obi-Wan cut power and turned into the CloakShape, hoping that this was his chance. Suddenly, another pang of danger hit him, and he instinctively put the Delta-6 into a barrel roll as the CloakShape turned back towards him.

_One second later, and he would have smashed into me._

The CloakShape pulled into a barrel roll underneath Obi-Wan, and soon the two fighters were locked in a rolling scissors, twisting around each other and decreasing speed gradually, attempting to force the other to overshoot. The ground, no more than 500 meters below from the looks of it, loomed beneath the two, threatening to devour the first to lose his focus; provided the other man didn't kill him first. Looking up at his enemy, Obi-Wan saw the CloakShape's pilot looking up at him, the details of his flight suit visible from his goggles down to the straps on his boots.

_We're damn close. Whoever kills the other will feel it today._

The craft continued to roll through the sky as Obi-Wan continued to chop power, feeling the Delta-6 shudder as it slipped closer and closer to stalling. The CloakShape continued to slow as well, the two fighters remaining neck and neck as their airspeed dropped. Obi-Wan tapped further and further into the Force, letting it guide his hands as they danced over the controls. Finally, the CloakShape pulled out in front of Obi-Wan ever so slightly.

_He must have added too much power. That's the last mistake he'll ever make._

Obi-Wan slid in behind the CloakShape, only to take a blast from the engine wash. He clutched the stick and doggedly stayed behind the CloakShape as it broke off to the right, its exhaust causing the Delta-6 to violently shake. Obi-Wan cut power and let the CloakShape shoot out in front as he centered the gunsight on his enemy. The display lit up green after several seconds, and he pressed the boresight switch.

_You should have paid more attention._

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, guns, guns, guns!"

With the pipper directly on the CloakShape's fuselage, Obi-Wan pulled the trigger and held it down for several seconds. Blaster bolts slammed into the CloakShape, and after several seconds of firing the snubfighter burst into flames. The morbidly curious Obi-Wan pulled up next to the flaming CloakShape, looking into its cockpit and wondering who this deadly opponent was.

_He was doing well, until I killed him. Who was he?_

The CloakShape's cockpit looked like a giant furnace, flames pouring out from behind the instrument panel and enveloping everything in the cockpit. Obi-Wan shuddered at the thought of the man he had been looking at not a minute before now being roasted alive inside the flaming compartment.

_I hope he was dead before the cockpit burst into flames._

Suddenly thinking of Siri, Obi-Wan fought the urge to feel satisfied as the shattered CloakShape rolled over and hit the ground, sending a fireball across the wet, grassy savannah as the realization dawned on him.

_He was the one that killed Siri. But…but I can't allow myself to feel satisfied at that. She wouldn't have wanted me to take revenge in her name._

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, CloakShape is down. Picture is clear."

* * *

"Say again, over."

"ARCHER 24, ARCHER 6. Unknown spacecraft are in your vicinity. Be aware and have your men ready for anti-air action at a moment's notice. Over."

"Understood, ARCHER 6. ARCHER 24 out."

The platoon commander hung up his commlink and paused to consider what he had just heard. The news of the intruders was all over the airwaves by now, with fighters scrambling and air defense units on high alert. It certainly made his mission of tracking rebel raiders more chaotic, but now he knew that he too might run into these intruders that had massacred an entire flight of CloakShapes.

_More trouble I don't need right now._

Then, he heard a rumbling noise in the sky, the ground beginning to reverberate.

_That's…it can't be! They're here!_

The platoon commander dashed out of his tent into the driving rain, seeing his men already roused and scanning the skies. One of them already had a portable SAM launcher in his hands, and he turned to his commander as he approached.

"I hear 'im too, sir. He won't be a problem much longer."

As the roar grew louder, the man shouldered the launcher, aiming it in the direction of the approaching noise. The platoon commander simply looked to the sky and smiled.

_Come to papa, you bastard._

* * *

"We can't see you, Four. The entire flight has been scattered. We'll need to use the Force to locate each other before we can form up."

"Understood, One…just be quick, please. I have no idea where I'm going in this soup."

"We're all in the same boat, Four. Just hold position until we can find you."

Obi-Wan reached out to his Master through their Force bond as he continued to aimlessly fly across the Kokeemi savanna.

_Master? Can you sense where I am?_

_I can, Obi-Wan. But this isn't as simple as walking over to you. Master Gallia and myself need to get to you in IFR conditions without slamming into anything, at low altitude and high speed. It will probably take a while before we can reach you._

_And then what?_

_Patience, Obi-Wan. We can decide what to do once we've reformed the flight. For the moment, focus on the here and now._

_Yes, Master._

As he gained altitude to give the Masters more space to maneuver to his side, Obi-Wan was alone with his thoughts for the first time since Siri was lost.

_She's gone…she's dead. My…no, she wasn't just a friend. She was more than that, and no amount of Jedi rhetoric will change that._

Without the stress of battle weighing on him, Obi-Wan's thoughts continued to race, his efforts to hold back tears falling apart as the gravity of what had happened dawned on him. His mind went back to a humid clearing on Vodran a year earlier; to the words she had spoken to him as they contemplated what they thought would be their end.

 _"_ _Obie, I want you to know that if I spend my final moments here, I'm glad I get to spend them with you."_

He remembered the warmth in her voice as she said this, the way he had kissed the top of her head to reassure her.

_Siri…I can't believe you're gone._

A pang of danger through the Force snapped him out of his melancholy trance. Without conscious thought, Obi-Wan yanked the Delta-6 into a barrel roll. A second later, he saw a bright object on the craft's port side, coming straight at him.

_A missile!_

In the next instant, he felt a tremendous crash as the missile detonated, throwing him into the wall of the cockpit and rocking the Delta-6. The fighter's controls became erratic as the "MASTER CAUTION" light shone bright red and the warning alarms blared inside the small compartment.

"Left engine fire. Left engine fire."

Obi-Wan drove his finger down on the throttle's talk button.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, I've been hit! My engines are on fire!"

The warning voice responded before Qui-Gon or Adi could.

"Right engine fire. Right engine fire."

Qui-Gon's voice came over the airwaves, sheer panic in his voice.

"Obi-Wan! We can see you! You're on fire!"

Flames licked at the edges of the canopy, throwing an ominous orange glow over the warm cockpit lighting. Obi-Wan struggled to control the Delta-6 as the controls became more and more sluggish.

"Hydraulic failure. Hydraulic failure."

The Padawan frantically yanked the joystick to no avail as he scanned the skies around him, looking for any sign of his Master. Off his starboard wing, he saw a Delta-6 emerge from the rainy haze, his Master's Force presence discernable in its cockpit.

"Obi-Wan! I'm here!"

"I'm here too, Obi-Wan!"

Above Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan could see Master Gallia's fighter.

_At least I won't die alone._

A sudden explosion rocked the Delta-6, sending it tumbling out of control. By now, the controls were totally unresponsive, and Obi-Wan could only sit and be disoriented as the fighter spun and the alarms blared.

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4, I'm going down! TORCHLIGHT 1-4 is going down!"

"Obi-Wan, get out of there! Eject!"

The Padawan was too confused to reach out through his Force bond. Qui-Gon's voice came again, even more desperate.

"Padawan, eject! Get out of that craft! Eject, NOW!"

Time slowed down, and a film reel of memories from his life played before him as he almost unconsciously reached for the ejection handle. He saw his crèche days in the Jedi Temple, his first meetings with his lifelong friends. He saw his first meeting with Qui-Gon, his disastrous stint in the AgriCorps, and the proud face of Qui-Gon as he accepted his new Padawan. He saw Bruck Chun's death; the radiant face of Cerasi; the hellish lair of Jenna Zan Arbor; the lavish interior of the _Aurorient Express;_ and the proud, fatherly smile of his Master as he looked at the boy slowly becoming a man. He saw the cave on Quadrant Seven, the stars in the night sky shining as he gathered Siri in his arms underneath the blanket and looked into her eyes. The scene turned to the dance floor at the Museum gala a year earlier, as he once again held her close and she looked up at him longingly, beautiful in her light blue dress. The thought of riding the flaming Delta-6 in and joining her in the Cosmic Force briefly stayed Obi-Wan's movement, until something in him made him continue reaching for the handle.

"OBI-WAN! EJECT! NOW!"

Obi-Wan was vaguely aware of his fingers closing around the handle as Master Gallia's uncharacteristically panicked voice came over the radio. In the next instant, the world around him ended with a mighty roar.

* * *

Qui-Gon watched in horror as the flaming Delta-6 tumbled end over end towards the soil of Kokeem. He tried to reach out to his Padawan through their Force bond, but received no response.

_Get out of there, Padawan! Get out of there!_

In the next instant, the Delta-6 slammed into the ground, sending a column of flame into the air and turning the grey haze orange. Qui-Gon was too shocked to utter a sound.

_Obi-Wan…did he…_

"TORCHLIGHT 1-4 is down! TORCHLIGHT 1-4 is down!"

_That's two Padawans dead. For what?_

"Qui-Gon? Did you see him get out?"

"No…no, Adi."

She pulled up on Qui-Gon's port wing as the reality of what had happened set in.

_Obi-Wan…he's gone…_

"Qui-Gon?"

_Why? Why did my apprentice have to die?_

"Qui-Gon? Can you hear me?"

_WHY?_

"Qui-Gon!"

Qui-Gon's voice was flat and detached, his mind swirling with emotions he couldn't release into the Force.

"What?"

"We have to go, Qui-Gon."

"You mean leave the planet? The mission…"

"Qui-Gon, it's clear that whoever runs this planet doesn't want us here. We'll need to bring more Jedi if we want to find that tomb."

_So they can die as well?_

"Qui-Gon, I know how you're feeling right now."

_At least you're right about that._

"I…I lost my Padawan today as well. We need to get out of here and inform the Council."

_And what will they say? "Our condolences on the loss of your Padawans?" "Better luck next time?"_

"Qui-Gon, we need to leave."

With the cocktail of emotions flowing through him, Qui-Gon answered as calmly as he could.

"Let's get out of here. There's nothing left for us on this accursed planet."

Adi didn't reprimand Qui-Gon for his harsh reply. She pulled off into the mist, with Qui-Gon on her wing. As the two starfighters climbed into the clouds, Qui-Gon tapped into the Living Force, desperately searching for any sign of his apprentice.

_He must be alive! He must be!_

* * *

Obi-Wan was vaguely aware of a gentle, wet caress on his face and a soft, damp surface underneath his body. He wasn't fully conscious, but something told him he wasn't dead either. Focusing on the delicate fingertips on his face, his mind went back to forbidden places. Not to Siri, but to another woman, to a spot of bright, beautiful light in yet another place gone to hell. Her soothing voice, her bright smile, flashed across his mind's eye as he felt a wave of comfort wash over him, memories of a bygone place filling his mind…

* * *

**Three years earlier…**

Obi-Wan walked onto the balcony overlooking the Sundari skyline, stretching as he woke himself up. Stepping to the railing, he raised his coffee to his lips and took a swig, savoring the taste of the beverage.

_That's just what I needed._

He took in the bustle of the city below him, airspeeders dotting to and fro amidst great skyscrapers; empty balconies that would soon be empty no longer, with the heat of the afternoon and the darkness of night bringing the city's wealthier denizens out onto them; and an uncanny artificial light illuminating the inside of the domed city.

_It would feel like Coruscant, if it weren't so unfamiliar._

The Padawan stood at the edge of the balcony, slowly drinking his coffee as the Sundari sunrise and the caffeine intake prepared him to face the day. It had been quiet since he and Qui-Gon had arrived, but Obi-Wan knew that danger was only a breath away on this deceivingly majestic planet.

_You don't even need terrorists to break the illusion here. All you need to do is go outside the dome, and the whole damn place is a wasteland. Appearances can indeed be deceiving._

Looking around the balcony, Obi-Wan saw movement to his left. Turning towards it, he saw the Duchess herself walking out onto the balcony, wearing a long blue nightgown. Her hair was disheveled and she wore no makeup, indicating that she had only just gotten out of bed. Something about her eyes and movement seemed heavy, further implying that she had woke up recently.

_She's certainly a far cry from the way I saw her when we first arrived, but she's still good-looking. And the way she looked at me for that split second…_

Obi-Wan quickly turned his gaze back to the skyline as he realized his gaze was lingering too long on the Duchess. Making an effort to keep his eyes on the horizon, he heard a groggy voice to his left.

"Good morning."

Turning to the voice, he saw the Duchess standing next to him.

"Good morning, Your Grace."

Obi-Wan politely bowed before taking another swig of his coffee.

"Please, there's no need to stand on ceremony here. We're just enjoying the sunrise, not presenting ourselves in front of the cabinet."

_She's a bit direct for a member of royalty. You'd expect her to be somewhat more…reserved. Maybe it's just the Mandalorian in her._

The two stood in silence for several seconds, before the Duchess reopened the conversation.

"I trust you slept well, Mister…"

"Kenobi. Obi-Wan Kenobi."

She seemed somewhat nervous around him, glancing up at him briefly before turning her eyes back to the sunrise before them.

_What is she thinking? More precisely, what is she thinking about me?_

"Obi-Wan?"

"Master?"

Both Obi-Wan and the Duchess turned towards Qui-Gon, now walking towards them from the entrance to the balcony.

"I don't mean to interrupt, Padawan, but we have a meeting with Brun and the Captain in 10 minutes."

"Understood, Master."

Turning to the Duchess, Obi-Wan gave a small bow.

"Until next time, Your Grace."

"Goodbye, Mr. Kenobi."

As Obi-Wan turned to leave, he saw a slight smile on the Duchess' features as she glanced at him one final time.

_She fancies me, doesn't she?_

* * *

**Present day…**

"I think he's right there, sir. They're gathering around him."

"Is he alive?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, sir. Only one way to find out."

With that, the leader of the small infiltration party signaled his men to surround the cluster of soldiers now gathered around the man sprawled out on the savanna. Knee-high grass surrounded the infiltrators, allowing them a concealed approach to the soldiers now eyeing the mysterious intruder. A few dozen meters away, the shape of the intruder's ejection seat was visible against the grass swaying in the stormy wind. The leader of the infiltrators went prone and crept through the grass, drawing his vibroblade. He was aware of the distinct _hum_ of his men activating their vibroblades as he followed suit.

_Whoever this strange visitor is, we'll find out in a few minutes. We just need to take out this patrol, and capture him ourselves._

Slowly, the infiltrators crept through the grass, the gentle patter of the rain and the indistinct voices of their enemies all they could hear. The voices slowly became more distinct, the rain drowned out by the soldiers' confused chattering.

_We're getting closer. They haven't spotted us._

Finally, the leader came within centimeters of his enemy. Looking forward, he could see the man's boot through the grass; mud caked on its sole.

_Three…two…one!_

With a single, fluid motion, the leader sprung up and pounced on his enemy, clamping his hand over the soldier's mouth and driving the vibroblade into the man's brain stem. The man released a muffled scream as he was pulled back into the grass. His fellows turned towards his vanishing form, firing at the leader as he dragged his prey to the ground. They could only fire a few errant shots before the other infiltrators were upon them. The leader stayed on his back in the grass, his dead enemy on top of him and the vibroblade still lodged in the man's skull. He heard the stifled _gurgling_ as his men slashed the throats of the remaining soldiers, and the rustling of the grass as their bodies fell to the dirt. After several seconds, he slid the vibroblade out of his adversary's skull, pushed the man's lifeless body into the grass, and slowly stood up, his hands outstretched to avoid a bolt from a jumpy infiltrator mistaking him for an enemy. Looking out over the scene, he saw his men sheathing their vibroblades, standing over the corpses of the enemy patrol.

_That's done. Now, to find out whom our visitor is._

"Good work, men."

Without any further words, the infiltrators surrounded the mystery man. Putting his fingers to the man's neck, the leader could clearly feel a pulse.

_He's alive. That's a good start; we can't ask a dead man where he came from or what his purpose here is._

The leader and his men got their first detailed look at their visitor. He was a fit, slim human male, looking to be in his early to mid 20s. He had close-cropped reddish-brown hair, light skin, and a small, thin, distinctive braid running down his right shoulder.

_That's odd. I've never seen that before. What does it mean?_

His clothes were even stranger: tan robes of some sort, with an equipment belt loaded with various tools and provisions, but no weapons.

_He's not a mercenary: he would at least have a pistol if he were. But he's clearly not a civilian, or some merchant who got lost navigating the hyperlanes._

Examining the man's belt, the leader saw a large, polished metal cylinder hanging from it, an aperture at one end and a knurled pommel at the other.

_What is this?_

Unhooking the object from the belt, the leader took the object in his hands and examined it more closely, As he turned it around, he saw a red button on the cylinder.

_It looks like a switch of some kind. Is it a weapon? A torch? What is it?_

"Stand back. All of you."

The infiltrators immediately stepped back as their leader knelt over the man, the strange cylinder in his hands and his finger over the red button.

_Here goes nothing!_

Shutting his eyes, the leader pressed the button. With a gentle _hiss_ , his eyelids were bathed in blue light. Opening his eyes again, he saw what looked like a blue beam of light emanating from the aperture at the end of the cylinder, stretching up towards the sky as raindrops dissolved on it with a _sizzle._

_A lightsaber…_

Though his gaze was locked on the stream of plasma before him, the leader could hear his men's voices around him.

" _Jedys…_ "

"They're here…"

"The _Jedys._ They've come for us…"

Without a word, the leader stood up and effortlessly raked the blade over the grass, watching the foliage fall to the ground as the plasma sliced through it.

_The blade is weightless. One false move and I'd cut my own limbs off!_

Pressing the switch and deactivating the lightsaber, the leader could hear nothing except quiet murmurs of dread from his men and the music of the rain. The Jedi lay on the grass, rain pouring down on him as he began to stir and mumble.

"Urgh…Master? Siri? Satine?"

A number of the infiltrators stepped forward, their rifles raised. Their leader quickly stepped forward.

"Stop. If we're going to kill him, we'll at least find out why he's here. We'll take him back to the _Wolverine_ with us."

The Jedi stopped stirring, once again slipping back into unconsciousness. The leader knelt down next to him as he began to decide what to do next.

_We know who you are. Now, what are you doing here?_

* * *

"Fire crews stand by. Fire crews stand by. All non-essential personnel clear the hangar immediately. Fire crews stand by; all non-essential personnel clear the hangar immediately."

The Corvette's captain entered the hangar with several of his most trusted guards, as well as medics and a few medical droids. The firefighters lined the edges of the hangar; their silver fire-resistant suits glistening against the hangar lights and their hoses clutched in their hands like rifles. Outside, the surface of Kokeem made a majestic backdrop for the small, broken starfighter locked in the ship's tractor beam and slowly coming towards the ship. The Captain shared a few final, wordless glances with the firefighters and the medical staff, who nodded in acknowledgement.

_They all know their jobs. Once that starfighter hits the hangar floor, this ballet will run itself. I don't need to tell them anything._

As the fighter came into the hangar, the Captain and his crew examined it closely. It was small, short, and wedge-shaped, painted in burgundy red with prominent white stripes; with the cockpit mounted aft directly above two large engines. Two slits for blaster cannons were located on either side of the fuselage at the fighter's midsection. Behind the canopy, a small, white fin bore the distinctive eight-pointed Republic crest, now marred by blackening from an explosion. Looking at the underside of the fuselage, the Captain could see gaping, ragged holes from explosions, while the telltale slashes and burns of blaster damage lined the dorsal part of the fuselage. Despite some cracking, the canopy looked to be intact. Still, the spiderweb-like fractures on the outside made it impossible to see the pilot.

 _A Republic vessel…what's the Republic doing out here? They've forgotten this place as surely as the_ Mand'eler _did! Why are they interested in Kokeem now?_

The fighter cleared the hangar shields, and then slowly came down to the hangar floor. The firefighters stepped forward, raising their hoses towards the craft as it approached the floor. It touched down with a deep, resounding _thud,_ echoing through the hangar. Immediately, the firefighters rushed forward and opened the nozzles on their hoses, drowning the starfighter in fire-retardant foam. After what seemed like minutes of spraying, the firefighters deactivated their hoses and stepped back, the fighter so covered in foam that its fuselage was barely visible. The Captain and the rescue crew rushed forward, the medical droids waiting at the back of the hangar. Several members of the rescue crew ran to the cockpit and began searching the fuselage for the external canopy jettison handle, clearing the foam away with their hands as they searched for the elusive device. Then, one man on the starboard side broke the frantic silence of the hangar.

"I found it! Stand back!"

The man opened the small door under the telltale yellow label marked "RESCUE" and unwound the lanyard inside, stepping back to its full extent. As he pulled it taut, he raised his hand, and the Captain and rescue crew stepped away from the fighter. The man on the lanyard held out his fingers, counting to three, and then pulled. With a sharp, gravelly _hiss_ , rockets mounted on the canopy blasted it off of its mountings, and it clattered to the hangar floor with a resounding, plastically charged _thud_. The rescue crew rushed forward and mounted the fighter, going straight for the cockpit. As they began to extract the pilot, the Captain laid eyes on his visitor for the first time. She was a young woman, likely in her early 20s, with long blonde hair and a gymnast's build. She was slumped over, held up by her seat harness with her eyes closed. A razor-thin braid, decorated with odd ribbons, ran down her right shoulder. She wore bizarre-looking tan robes with what looked like an equipment belt of some sort, loaded with various tools and rations as well as an odd, metal cylinder of some kind hanging off of it.

_She doesn't look like your average government agent. She doesn't even have a blaster. What is she? And, more importantly, what is she doing here?_

As one of the medics undid the woman's seat harness, another searched the cockpit for the seat's safety pin. After some rummaging, he held up the pin, and put it in its place on the seat handle, giving a thumbs-up to the rest of the crew. The man on the harness held his fingers to the woman's neck, and after several seconds turned to the Captain.

"She's alive, sir."

Without waiting for a response, the medic turned to the rest of the crew, who rushed forward with a stretcher. The medics and the Captain pulled the woman from the cockpit and dragged her across the fuselage towards the stretcher, when they heard a clattering noise on the floor of the hangar. Leaving the pilot and turning to the noise, the Captain saw the cylinder from the woman's belt, apparently having fallen off as she was pulled from the cockpit. He grabbed it as it rolled along the floor, and then held it up to examine it. Upon further examination, he could see a large aperture on one end of it, with a switch below it.

_It looks like some sort of tool. But what is it?_

Cautiously, the Captain pressed the button, and a magenta-colored beam shot from the aperture with a _hiss_. He stared at the blade for several seconds, realizing the implications of what he had just witnessed. He involuntarily spoke as a wave of dread came over him.

" _Jedy…_ "

Looking around at his men, the Captain saw them staring at him, completely silent. The only sound in the hangar was the soft _hum_ of the lightsaber now ignited in the Captain's hands. Before any of his men could speak, the Captain turned to the rescue crew, who by now had the Jedi on the stretcher.

"Get her to the medical bay, under guard. Once she's there, double the guard."

The medic's answer came in a quiet, fearful voice.

"Aye, sir."

As the medics hurriedly left the hangar with the Jedi, the Captain sat crouched on the floor, where he had found the lightsaber. After pondering the situation for several seconds, he pocketed the weapon and headed straight for the bridge.

* * *

The hololink display in the CO's bridge cabin lit up, the image of the Captain's young protégé appearing with rain pouring down around him.

"Captain, sir."

"Horn."

"We're heading back to the ship, sir. Where are you?"

"I'll send you the coordinates. We're in orbit, right now, and we just picked up a visitor."

"You mean those strange craft, sir?"

"How do you know?"

"One of them was shot down near us, sir. The pilot ejected, and we have him now. He's unconscious, but alive, and he was carrying this."

The infiltration leader held up a large metal cylinder, and in an instant a blade of plasma issued from its end.

"They're Jedi, Horn. I know. The one we have had one as well."

"The one you have? You mean the pilot survived?"

"Yes. She's in the medical bay right now, under guard. I'll make sure to open a spot for your survivor as well. Just come on in as soon as you can. I don't like staying out here in orbit."

"Are the other Jedi still out there? The one's that weren't shot down?"

"Negative. Harvel told me they jumped into hyperspace a few minutes ago."

"Understood. I'll get the shuttle moving as soon as I can."

"I'll see you in a few hours, Horn. Take care."

"You too, sir."

Rather than hanging up, the young man on the hololink paused for a few seconds, and then spoke, worry on his features and uncertainty in his voice.

"So, it's come to this. The _Jedys_ are on Kokeem. Why are they interested in this place?"

"I…we'll find that out, Horn. Just get the other one back here as soon as possible."

"Sir, do you think it's something to do with the…"

"The _Pa'an ba Odum?_ You and I both know that's an old wives' tale, Horn."

"It's just…"

"I know he was a Force-user, Horn. The place still doesn't exist. So don't think about it."

"Then why are they here?"

"I told you, bring them in. We'll ask them once they're well enough to answer."


	6. Waking Up

**Chapter 5**

**Waking Up**

_Beep._

The gentle, mechanical sound was the first thing to enter Obi-Wan's mind as the world came back into focus.

_Beep._

The Padawan's eyes slowly opened, and he began taking stock of the sensations around him.

_Where…where am I?_

Looking around, Obi-Wan could see white walls pockmarked with occasional stains and cracks, and a black ceiling with warm lights casting a gentle glow around the room. The floors were lined with cots, medical droids going to and fro and various beings in combat fatigues standing at intervals along the rows of cots, blaster carbines in their hands.

_I'm in some sort of hospital, military by the looks of it. But those guards clearly aren't Judicials. What is this place?_

"He's regaining consciousness."

Looking towards the mechanical voice, Obi-Wan saw a medical droid standing over him. The droid was an older unit and had clearly seen heavy use, wear and tear evident on its features, while its exposed medical instruments made it look more like a mechanical fiend than an angel of life.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Obi-Wan noticed that the tone was accelerating. Looking towards its source, he saw a heartbeat monitor, with several wires leading down towards him. Strapped to it was a bag of IV fluid with a tube running down to his arm. As his heartbeat accelerated, Obi-Wan noticed the IV bag begin to vibrate under a wave of uncontrolled Force energy. He attempted to calm himself before a man's voice added to his confusion.

"Steady, _Jedy._ You've been out of it for a while."

 _"Jedy?" That sounded like_ Mando'a! _I've never heard it spoken like that, though._

Turning towards the voice, Obi-Wan saw a human male dressed in combat fatigues and light armor, with a blaster pistol hanging from his hip. He looked to be around Obi-Wan's age, with an athletic build, dark hair, hazel eyes, and a chiseled face. Something about his demeanor told Obi-Wan he was in some position of authority with whatever entity ran this hospital. Quickly considering his options, he delivered his reply in _Mando'a._

"Where am I?"

The man's eyes shot open in surprise at Obi-Wan's response. After a few seconds' pause, he stammered out a reply in what sounded like an odd, broken version of _Mando'a._

"You're aboard a corvette in a secure location in deep space. We picked you up from the surface of Kokeem after you ejected from your starfighter."

 _It's_ Mando'a _of some sort, but it's not what I learned on Mandalore. It must be some sort of local dialect._

Obi-Wan replied in Basic.

"I've never heard _Mando'a_ spoken like that. Is it some sort of local dialect?"

"It's Kokeemi. The tongue of our ancestors, derived from an archaic form of _Mando'a_ spoken by the Mandalorian Crusaders that settled Kokeem thousands of years ago. Basic has largely superseded it, but it is still common in isolated rural communities. My own grandparents primarily communicated in it."

"Interesting. Who are you, though?"

"My name is Talyon Horn. I am the second-in-command of the Free Kokeemi Army."

_Free Kokeemi Army? That doesn't sound like the planetary defense force to me. Have I stumbled into some sort of civil war?_

As if sensing Obi-Wan's confusion, Horn swiftly replied.

"We are a movement dedicated to overthrowing the tyrannical regime of Husan, the warlord currently ruling much of our planet. It was his forces that shot you and your partner down over Kokeem, not us."

"My partner…you mean Siri?"

"Ah, so that's who you were mumbling about in your sleep."

"I was?"

Obi-Wan felt his face turn red as he spoke.

"Yes. When you were unconscious on the planet's surface, when we first found you."

_Damn it!_

"You were lucky that I was planetside. I was leading an infiltration team on an extended mission to gather intelligence about KDF defenses in that sector. If I hadn't been there, you'd be in Husan's dungeons right now. Or worse."

"KDF?"

"Kokeemi Defense Force. Husan's army."

Then, Obi-Wan felt his heart sink as his mind went to Siri, to the sight of her fighter torn apart by blaster fire and sent spinning into oblivion.

_Time to ask the hard question._

"How do you know about Siri?"

"We recovered her and the wreckage of her craft after the battle you had with Husan's snubfighters. There were two more of you, and they fled into hyperspace after you were shot down."

"The Masters."

"So those were the ones in charge, then? Not very good leaders, to abandon their subordinates like this."

Obi-Wan felt a surge of anger, sending him lunging at Horn.

"You have no right to speak of…"

Horn grabbed Obi-Wan by the collar and drew his blaster pistol, thrusting it in the Padawan's face as he growled in reply, his facial expression murderously calm despite the menace in his voice.

"Don't test me, _Jedy._ You and your girlfriend are of more use to us alive than dead, which is why you're not dead already. Don't make me change my mind."

_Wait…alive? She's still alive?_

"What are you smiling about, _Jedy_? You like having a blaster thrust in your face?"

Obi-Wan suddenly realized he was smiling at the thought of Siri's survival.

"She's alive?"

"Of course she is. Didn't you know that already?"

"Where is she?"

"She's in here. Recovering, as you are."

"Show me."

"You don't give the orders around here…"

"Show. Me."

Obi-Wan stared into Horn's eyes, erasing any thought of backing down from his mind despite the blaster still held to his head. The two glared at each other for several seconds, before Horn spoke to one of the guards, never taking his eyes off of Obi-Wan or even turning his head.

"Bring the woman here. Now."

Obi-Wan continued to stare intently into Horn's eyes as the sounds of shuffling and metal dragging against metal could be heard in the background. Feeling around him with the Force, Obi-Wan suddenly felt a familiar Force presence approaching him, growing closer with every metallic scratch. It was faint, but still very much alive. At its sensation, Obi-Wan felt a rush of emotion as memories of the battle over Kokeem came back into his mind.

_Siri! She's alive! She survived!_

Finally, a female guard came into view, dragging a medical cot to Obi-Wan's side. Horn kept his gaze, and the muzzle of his pistol, trained on Obi-Wan as the Padawan excitedly tried to sit up further and get a better view of the cot. As the guard moved the cot closer, Obi-Wan got his first glimpse of Siri. She was hooked up to a series of monitors and medical equipment, as he was, her Jedi robes disheveled. Though alive, she was unconscious, a white bandage ominously wrapped around her head. Obi-Wan felt a surge of anger and fear as he saw her bandaged head, turning to Horn and speaking with barely contained fury.

"What did you do to her?"

"We didn't do a damned thing, Jedi! She hit her head on the canopy of her starfighter! She's been unconscious since!"

Suddenly realizing his angry outburst, Obi-Wan briefly, laboriously calmed himself, releasing his swirl of emotions into the Force.

_She's alive, Obi-Wan. She's alive. There's hope. And sometimes all you need is hope to defeat the dark side._

"How long has she been out for?"

Despite the fact that he still held a pistol to Obi-Wan's head, Horn's voice was once again relaxed, almost neighborly.

"About eight hours. She's been in and out, mumbling odd things from time to time. Still, she hasn't fully woken up yet. I'll have our doctors examine her once she's fully awake, to make sure she didn't suffer any serious head injuries. But, given what we've observed so far she'll probably be awake, if not entirely coherent, within a few hours or so."

Obi-Wan suddenly became aware of the _beep_ of Siri's heart rate monitor, slow and deliberate as it was. Listening to the relieving sound, Obi-Wan felt his own body relax and his head ease back onto his pillow. Noticing his visitor's sudden relaxation, Horn backed away from Obi-Wan, still keeping his pistol leveled as the Padawan. After several seconds of standing over the cot and observing Obi-Wan, Horn slowly and cautiously holstered his pistol.

"What are you going to do with us, then?"

"We'll give you time to recover. Then, you'll both be taken before our leader."

"Your leader?"

"The commander of the Free Kokeemi Army. He will decide your fate."

Without a further word, Horn turned and left the room, gesturing for the female guard that had brought Siri over to return to her post. As she did, she turned and spoke to Obi-Wan.

"Don't try anything cute, _Jedy._ There are more of us guarding this room than even you can handle."

As the guard walked towards her post, Obi-Wan turned to Siri, now lying next to him. Reaching out and placing his hand on hers, he sent her a wave of comfort through the Force. Her breath hitched for a moment, and he felt a pang of recognition from her Force presence.

_Good. She can at least react to me._

Slowly, he let go of her hand and shut his eyes, going into a meditative trance as he brushed against her mind with the Force. As he slipped into a meditative state and lowered his shields, he felt her Force presence against his. Then, he heard her voice through their Force bond, fear radiating from her Force signature.

_Obie…_

_Siri, we'll be okay. Just lay quiet and save your strength._

As their Force presences lay against one another, Obi-Wan felt a wave of comfort wash over the two of them.

_Save your strength, Siri. We'll get through this, together._

* * *

At the control tower overlooking the hyperspace booster depot over Coruscant, the Jedi Master commanding the controllers managing the flow of traffic, the "Air Boss," looked on at his subordinates as he sipped his coffee. So far, the morning had been quiet and the traffic routine.

_Another day in the grind. At least we haven't had any civilian craft wandering into the depot limits today. Nonetheless, the day is still young._

"Master, two craft exiting hyperspace, heading for the depot. IFFs say they're ours."

Walking over to the Knight manning the sensor, the Air Boss saw two signatures coming into his airspace, their speed decreasing. Without a word, the Air Boss ran over to the comm station, only to hear the two craft hailing him as he placed his hand on the receiver.

"SLINGSHOT, this is TORCHLIGHT Lead. Flight is inbound, request clearance to deposit hyperspace boosters."

_Master Gallia? Back so soon? What happened out there? And why are there only two of you?_

Going over the situation, the Air Boss' heart sank as he realized what had happened.

_Half the flight was lost…what kind of disaster transpired out there?_

"TORCHLIGHT Lead, SLINGSHOT. Cleared for approach."

* * *

Qui-Gon and Adi entered the Council Chamber, the Masters of the Council already seated with grim expressions on their features.

_I think they have some idea of what happened. We called an emergency Council meeting, and we don't have our Padawans with us. They're just waiting for the details; they already know the outcome._

Standing before the Council to report the loss of his Padawan, it took everything in Qui-Gon's fiber not to collapse in tears as memories of Obi-Wan's early apprenticeship flooded into his mind. Next to him, Adi was as close to breaking down as Qui-Gon had ever sensed her.

Breaking the tense silence, Mace Windu's voice was twinged with the fear of the answer he knew he would receive.

"Masters. Where are your Padawans?"

"Our Padawans are dead, Master Windu. The planetary defense forces on Kokeem attacked us on arrival. Our Padawans were both shot down and killed."

The Council Chamber went completely silent at the revelation, shock emanating from all of the Masters. Barely having the strength to look up at the Council, Qui-Gon saw Sifo-Dyas' face contort in agony.

_He's blaming himself for this._

Master Windu broke the silence, a hint of emotion in his usually cold voice.

"We're saddened to hear of your loss, Masters. I hope you can take solace in knowing that the Council mourns your Padawans with you."

_At least he's sincere. That might be the most honest expression of emotional solidarity I've ever seen from him._

"We returned to inform the Council and request a larger expedition to Kokeem. Given the opposition we faced, we must bring greater force to bear if we are to…"

Mace's expression turned stern once more, his voice once again authoritative rather than understanding.

"The Council will decide the course of action. We will formally debrief you both at a later time, and then decide what to do next."

A jolt of frustration ran through Qui-Gon as Yoda, sensing the rising tension in the room, stepped in to defuse it.

"A great loss, you have both suffered. Relief, you must have, before deciding your next course of action."

"Relief?"

"Clear your minds, you must. Great, overwhelming emotion, I sense in both of you. A break from normal duties, you must have."

For the first time in the meeting, Adi spoke.

"Masters, my duties on the Council…"

"Relief, you must both have. Time to meditate and recover, you need."

Master Windu again spoke, some understanding having returned to his voice.

"For the time being, both of you are to return to your quarters. The Council will inform you of any further developments. You are dismissed."

Qui-Gon felt a surge of anger at the Council's casual dismissal of his distress, and part of him wanted to stay and argue the point. Even in Master Gallia, he could sense a rising level of discontent.

_No. It's not worth it. Just get out of here: there's nothing more you can do._

With a half-hearted bow, Qui-Gon left the Council Chamber, Adi right behind him. As the two Masters stepped into the turbolift, the Masters of the Council braced for what they knew was about to happen. As the door closed, Master Windu reluctantly began the heated discussion.

"Well, that's it. We all know the score here, so let's get straight to the matter at hand. What to do about Kokeem?"

"He has a point, Master Windu. If we send more Jedi, we could easily…"

"This isn't that simple, Master Sifo-Dyas. We all know what just happened on Yinchorr. Many of us, including myself, were present. Since then, the Order's relationship with the Senate has deteriorated. Even the Chancellor himself, one of our staunchest allies, has stated that we're not suited to be an army. And we are not an army to begin with: we enforce the Republic's laws and maintain peace. We seek to prevent wars, not start them. Given what Masters Jinn and Gallia just told us, a larger force of Jedi would undoubtedly find itself fighting the planetary defense force. Given the Order's performance in the recent uprising, to say nothing of the battles with the Mandalorians and Stark's pirates eleven years ago, such an undertaking would be bloody and very, very public. And with the recent controversy over taxation in the Mid Rim, the Chancellor is now calling for a trade summit on Eriadu to settle disputes over taxation on trade routes. The Chancellor has been on shaky ground for years; he's constantly at loggerheads with the Senate. The political disaster that an expedition to Kokeem would likely turn into would destroy the Chancellor's position and collapse the summit before it even began. And with both the major galactic corporations and the House of Tarkin involved, this dispute could become very ugly if a political solution cannot be reached. The Tarkins have a history of militarism and want their rival Valorum gone, as well as a sizeable segment of their populace that feels the Republic is against them as a result of the disputes over Ranulph Tarkin's military expansionism eleven years ago; the Trade Federation has the most powerful military in the galaxy; and the various other corporations involved have their own large private armies and have displayed a willingness to use them for their own ends. This trade summit could be the only thing preventing the Republic from plunging into civil war. And if that nightmare scenario comes to pass, most of the involved parties will be gunning for the Jedi Order. In short, the political factors involved make action too dangerous to be undertaken."

Trying to calm himself, Sifo-Dyas' only noticeable response was a loud sigh.

_So what, then? The Padawans died for nothing?_

* * *

Qui-Gon sat in his quarters, attempting to meditate but unable to clear his mind. Thoughts of Obi-Wan constantly invaded his mind's eye as he reached into the Living Force, seeking any sign that his apprentice was still alive.

_Obi-Wan…he has to be alive! He has to! I didn't see him eject, but that doesn't mean he didn't! I might have not noticed him! But…but if that is the case, then where is he now? Likely in the hands of the locals…and what are they doing to him now?_

Ignoring his racing anxiety, Qui-Gon tapped deeper and deeper into the Living Force, feeling for any sign of his Padawan.

_Obi-Wan…wherever you are, remember this: the Force will be with you, always. And I will find you, no matter what._

"Qui-Gon?"

Looking up at the voice, Qui-Gon saw Adi sitting on the couch, emotional exhaustion radiating from her.

"Adi. Are you alright?"

"I'm…I'm fine, Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon could tell the answer was a lie, but out of respect for his friend he chose not to press the matter.

_What do I say to her? "You're not fine?" "Don't worry; she is at peace in the Cosmic Force?"_

Qui-Gon stood up and sat on his bed, opposite Adi. As he sat down, he realized that the two were in the exact same positions they had been in when they discussed the mission before their departure.

_Full circle, indeed._

"The Council didn't want you with them?"

"No, Qui-Gon. As Master Yoda said, we need to clear our minds. Both of us do."

After keeping herself together for so long, Adi looked like she was on the verge of bursting into tears, her outer calm becoming more and more visibly forced. Something told Qui-Gon that she was simply too exhausted to cry, much as he was. She reclined back onto the couch, closing her eyes and trying to fall asleep. After observing her for several seconds, Qui-Gon flopped backwards onto his bed, too exhausted to stay awake or offer gestures of comfort. As his body began to involuntarily fall asleep, Qui-Gon's only solace was the presence of his friend and colleague across from him.

_At least I'm not suffering alone._


	7. The Negotiators

**Chapter 6**

**The Negotiators**

Feeling Siri's Force presence become more and more intense, Obi-Wan slipped out of his meditative trance and back to reality. Taking in his surroundings, he noticed the tone of her heartbeat monitor growing faster and faster.

_She's waking up! And when she comes to, she'll have no idea where she is!_

Without conscious thought, Obi-Wan leapt out of his cot and rushed to Siri's side as her eyes began to flutter and the tone of the heartbeat monitor grew more and more rapid. Obi-Wan was barely aware of the female guard shouting at him as she swung her blaster towards him, her comrades quickly doing the same as Obi-Wan's own heartbeat monitor sped up: his focus was entirely on Siri.

_If they panic and shoot me in the back, so be it. Siri needs me right now._

Siri gave a brief moan as her eyes opened, moving her head to and fro to take in her surroundings. As her eyes opened wider, her breathing became quicker and quicker, her head movements more and more rapid as panic came over her features. Obi-Wan quickly grasped her hand and sent her a wave of comfort through the Force as he spoke in the calmest voice he could muster despite the guards shouting at him as they trained their blasters on his spine.

"Siri. It's okay. Siri!"

He gripped her hand tighter as she continued to thrash in a panic, her eyes darting around the room. Obi-Wan moved a hand to her face, his calm voice becoming more forceful.

"Siri!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

By now, the medical equipment surrounding the two was shaking under the pull of uncontrolled Force energy.

_I have to calm her down, before the guards shoot us or she breaks something!_

He moved his other hand to her face, forcing her gaze towards him.

"Siri! It's me! It's Obi-Wan! Calm down!"

Finally, as her gaze locked on his, she stopped flailing around the cot. Her breathing slowly, cautiously slowed down as the cacophony of the heartbeat monitor began to slacken.

"It's me, Siri. You're safe."

"Obi-Wan?"

"Yes, it's Obi-Wan. I'm here; you're safe now. I'm here."

"Where am I? Where's Master Gallia?"

"We're in the medical bay of a starship, Siri. We were both shot down over Kokeem, and the local resistance picked us up. The Masters fled; they must think we're dead."

"Resistance?"

"Apparently, there's some kind of civil war going on here, and the government forces attacked us and the Masters when we arrived. The rebels got to us first, and we're with them now."

"We're working with them?"

"No. From what they told me, we're their prisoners for the time being until they decide what to do with us."

At this, Siri's heartbeat monitor began to accelerate. Obi-Wan quickly sent her reassurance through the Force as he spoke.

"Siri, we'll be okay. Both of us."

"Obie…"

"Trust me, Siri. Trust me."

He looked at her reassuringly, gently running his thumb over her cheek. Her breathing began to slow, and the tone of the heartbeat monitor slowly returned to normal. After several seconds, Obi-Wan stepped away from Siri to face the guards, who still had their blasters trained on the two Padawans. Before either Obi-Wan or the guards could say anything further, Horn walked into the room and briefly stopped in his tracks to take in the scene before addressing the guards in a calm but worried voice.

"What's going on here?"

"The woman woke up, sir. She panicked, and this man had to calm her down."

Horn turned to Obi-Wan for his next question.

"Is she alright?"

"Yes. She's calm now."

Horn gave no verbal response, but his facial expression relaxed at Obi-Wan's reply.

"Do you need something, Horn?"

"Is she coherent enough to answer questions?"

"Give her a few hours."

"Fair enough. I'll give you four hours, and then you both will appear before our commander."

Feeling a pang of dread from Siri, Obi-Wan quickly reached out through their Force bond.

_We'll be okay, Siri. Just follow my lead. Spend the next four hours meditating: you'll need it._

_You really think we can convince this "commander" that we're not out to get him?_

_We don't have a choice._

* * *

Hundreds lined the Temple's funeral hall, staring grimly at the two funeral pyres before them. Each was draped in the flag of the Jedi Order, with the outline of folded robes underneath and Temple Sentinels flanking them on either side.

_A token funeral. We don't even have their bodies to burn._

Qui-Gon and Adi stood together at the edge of the room, dozens of Jedi packed in next to them. Looking to the floor of the chamber, they could see Master Windu and Master Yoda standing together, looking out over the two flags and the Sentinels silently guarding the pyres. Master Yoda was noticeably bent over, leaning heavily on his gimer stick, while sorrow radiated from the usually calm Master Windu despite his outwardly emotionless demeanor.

"I've never seen Master Yoda this despondent in a long time."

"He was very fond of Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon."

To their left, Qui-Gon and Adi could see Kit Fisto and his Padawan, Bant Eerin, with Bant leaning into her Master as the Nautolan stared blankly at Obi-Wan's funeral pyre. On the other side of the room, Sifo-Dyas was visible, a swirl of emotions radiating from him. Qui-Gon subtly gestured towards Sifo-Dyas as he turned to Adi.

"How has he been taking this?"

"Terribly, Qui-Gon."

"Is he blaming himself?"

Adi hesitated before replying, sadness for her colleague on the Council in her voice.

"Yes."

She said no more as Master Windu stepped to the fore to deliver the eulogy.

"Masters, Knights, Padawans. We are gathered here today in remembrance of Padawans Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siri Tachi, who passed into the Force while in flight over Kokeem."

Mace paused for effect. Qui-Gon could barely look at him.

"Kenobi and Tachi were agemates, opposites in temperament who nonetheless came together for the sake of the Jedi Order, as their Masters did. Along with their Masters, they prevented a deadly attack on the Jedi Temple, rescued a Force-sensitive child and liberated her people from tyranny, triumphed over a mad scientist who sought to dominate the Force, and saved a boy genius and many planetary leaders from certain death at the hands of criminals. They, both together and separately, participated in many missions across myriad worlds, they and their Masters saving countless lives. Even in recent years, they proved to only grow in the face of adversity, on such places as Yinchorr, Oovo IV, and Vodran."

Mace paused again, but his facial expression changed subtly as he began this new part of the eulogy.

"Despite the doubts others had about them, their commitment to the Jedi Order was unwavering. They had developed into promising young apprentices well on their way to Knighthood. All that was cut short over Kokeem, when…"

Qui-Gon turned to Adi, whispering in her ear.

"Did he know about…what happened between our Padawans six years ago?"

"Yes, he did."

_How the hell did he know that?_

"How?"

"The Jedi Council is very, very small, Qui-Gon. Secrets don't stay that way for long."

_At least they made the right choice. Leaving the Order would have destroyed them._

Thinking of Obi-Wan and Siri's interactions after the mission to Quadrant Seven, Qui-Gon's mind went back to his own secret, to Tahl. He remembered a rainy morning eleven years earlier, remembered the touch of her hand against his as another funeral played out before their eyes, Obi-Wan standing under his Master's reassuring hand and trying to process death and mortality as best as a thirteen-year-old could.

_Why? Why did he have to die? What purpose did the Force have in taking him from me? And Tahl…why?_

Sensing Qui-Gon's unease as Mace's eulogy went on in the background, Adi put her hand on Qui-Gon's arm, weakly sending him a wave of comfort through the Force.

"I'm thinking the same thing, Qui-Gon. I'm glad they chose the Order over each other, but now they are together in the Force, and I know even after all we said to them that they would have wanted it that way."

She managed a half-hearted smile, but Qui-Gon could only stare at the funeral pyres, a quiet, simmering anger growing in him as Mace finished his eulogy.

"…now they are one with the Force, to know neither sorrow nor pain nor loss any longer. To the flames we commit what remains of their mortal bodies, and to the Force we commend their souls."

Master Windu stepped away, and the Sentinels took over the proceedings, taking the flags from the pyres and folding them nine times into sickeningly neat triangles. Upon finishing, a Sentinel took each flag in his hands and stepped to the side as Mace shouted to the other Sentinels, who now stood at the edges of the chamber with their backs ramrod-straight and their large lightsabers held perfectly still.

"SENTINELS! PRESENT…SABERS!"

At this, with the exception of the two holding the folded flags, the Sentinels raised their lightsabers to their chins and ignited them, the blades shooting skywards across their faces as the funeral pyres were lowered, the doors closing behind them. Beams of light shot out from the pyres up through the ceiling, symbolizing the souls of the Padawans joining the Cosmic Force. Qui-Gon looked on at the spectacle, and shed a single tear.

* * *

The door to the corvette's bridge opened with a theatrical _hiss_ , and the guards pushed Obi-Wan and Siri into the room. After their allotted four-hour respite, Horn and the guards had taken the two from their cots and bound their hands behind their backs before rudely marching them towards the ship's bridge. As the doors swung open, Obi-Wan quickly spoke to Siri through their Force bond.

_Remember what I said, Siri. Follow my lead, and we'll survive._

Looking out over the bridge, the two Padawans could see crewmembers at their various stations, working and monitoring various subsystems of the ship. At the head of the bridge looking over the ship's helm, several men stood next to each other, monitoring various instruments and occasionally casting a glance at the pilots. Looking to his left, Obi-Wan saw two guards eyeing him suspiciously, never turning their gazes towards the denizens of the bridge. Looking to his right, he saw Siri standing next to him, with two more guards on her right and Horn to theirs. Horn briefly met Obi-Wan's gaze with his own, and then turned to the men standing over the helm.

"Mr. Hoowis! Sir! Our visitors are here."

The center-most man in the group looking over the helm turned to face the Padawans and their guards, before saying something inaudible to one of the men next to him. The other man nodded and turned back to the helm as his fellow walked towards the Padawans. As he approached the group, Obi-Wan studied the man's features as best he could. He was a human male, of average height but thick build, likely in his early to mid 40s. He had a harsh, wrinkled face, neck-length sandy blond hair, and teal eyes. Nearing the group and stopping to address the Padawans, his voice was a harsh, heavily accented growl.

"So, _Jedys._ You've finally come to this hellhole. What brings you here?"

"Who are you? And what is this 'army' of yours…"

"I ask the bloody questions, boy. What are you doing here?"

_Might as well give him the truth._

"We came here with our Masters, looking for an ancient tomb. Perhaps you've heard of it?"

"Likely story, _Jedy_. What are you really doing here?"

"I told you, we were here looking for an ancient tomb…"

The man surged forward in anger, drawing a vibroblade and thrusting it into Obi-Wan's face as he grabbed the Padawan by the collar. Siri let out a stifled cry and started towards Obi-Wan before the guards held her fast and Horn put his pistol to the small of her back. Obi-Wan fought his urge to focus on Siri and kept his gaze on the man in front of him.

"LIAR! You're here to scout, aren't you?"

"Scout? I barely know this planet…"

"Exactly! Which is why you're here! You and your bloody Order want me gone! You've swallowed Husan's lies about me! You're scouting for an invasion force, aren't you? So you _Jedys_ can come and kill me like you did Mareel's men on Galidraan!"

"I don't even know who you are! I heard your man Horn mention 'Husan', but I don't know anything about him! The Jedi Order is _not_ interested in you, whoever you are!"

"You're a terrible liar, boy."

"Listen…"

"You listen, you bastard…"

"Just hear me out, please! If you're going to kill me, at least let me say something in my defense!"

The man hesitated, and then his grip slackened.

"Make it good, _Jedy._ "

"Your man Horn said it was Husan's forces that attacked us when we arrived. That's true, isn't it?"

"Go on."

"It's true, then?"

The man tightened his grip and held the vibroblade millimeters from Obi-Wan's face, speaking through gritted teeth.

"Yes. Go on."

"I think we can help each other out."

"What are you suggesting?"

"From what Horn told me, you want Husan gone. My friend and I want to find the tomb we came to find. If you help us find that tomb, we can help your army fight Husan."

"What tomb? There's thousands what have been buried on this world in the past few decades."

"The tomb of Darth Dominius."

"Who?"

"He was a Sith that ruled Kokeem thousands of years ago, during the days of the Mandalorian Crusaders. He was buried here, in a tomb in the mountains, with his armor and weapons. We're here to find that tomb."

The man's expression turned blank for a moment, and then a look of realization and dread came over his features.

"You…you mean the _Pa'an ba Odum?_ "

"The 'Cave of the Tyrant?"

"You speak Kokeemi?"

"I speak _Mando'a_ , yes. You know of the tomb?"

"Only rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Old legends I heard when I was a lad. They say a tyrant of old, a dark sorcerer from the days of _Ta Kindosy Mand'eler,_ was buried in the mountains, in a cave between this world and Hell. The cave was a place of evil, guarded by powerful magic and the Hounds of Hell. Any who wandered into it would die."

"The 'Hounds of Hell?"

"Powerful, vicious beasts from Hell that tore apart any who entered the Cave. Some even say they roam the mountain valleys at night, looking for foolish wanderers. To this day, most villagers in the mountains won't even leave their homes at night because of this."

_"Hounds of Hell?" What is he talking about? Is it just superstition, or something more sinister?_

"Whatever the truth, we're here to find that tomb. Regardless of what legends or folklore exist surrounding it. In return, we'll help you get rid of Husan."

The man's grip slackened yet again, and he chuckled ironically as he spoke.

"So now you care, don't you?"

"Care about what?"

"Your corrupt Senate never cared about this place. Never cared about the depredations Husan visited on us. We've been fighting his tyranny alone for years, and now you _Jedys_ get involved because of an old wives' tale."

"Like I said, we _will_ help you fight Husan, as long as you help us find that tomb. You have my word."

"Your word meant nothing on Galidraan. Your corrupt governor spread all kinds of lies about the True Mandalorians, and you _Jedys_ butchered them like animals without a second thought."

"I understand what happened. Jedi died there too; it was a senseless tragedy…"

"You're bloody right it was a senseless tragedy! And it was all your fault! And now you want me to trust you and your corrupt Republic? You take me for a fool, boy?"

"We can make it up to you, then. Either you free us, or you kill us. It's your decision, but you'd be throwing away a tremendous asset to your cause."

The man let go of Obi-Wan and stepped back, thinking his options through. Obi-Wan kept his eyes on his captor as he pondered the wisdom of his bold statement.

_I made it all or nothing; I went right for the jugular. Still, should I have backed him into a corner like that? I'm about to find out._

The man stepped forward, putting himself back in Obi-Wan's face as he delivered his verdict, menace in his voice.

"What about your companion over there? Will she go along with this?"

"I will."

Surprised, the man glared at Siri, who simply looked back at him, determination in her eyes despite the muzzle of Horn's blaster pushing into her spine. The man then turned back and spoke to Obi-Wan, his voice as threatening as it had been up to that point.

"You're both hired, then. But know this: if you double-cross me on this, I'll kill her, slowly and painfully, in front of you. And then I'll kill you, just as slowly and painfully. Do you understand me?"

Obi-Wan felt a surge of anger at the man's threat to Siri, releasing it into the Force as he delivered his reply.

"I understand. You have a deal."

"Very well. Release their bindings!"

The man gestured to the guards, who promptly freed Obi-Wan and Siri. Obi-Wan brought his hand forward and shook his newfound ally's hand with a polite smile on his face.

"You never told me your name."

"Sharf Hoowis, Commander-in-Chief of the Free Kokeemi Army. And you are?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is Siri Tachi."

Obi-Wan and Hoowis turned to Siri, who waved and smiled politely as she rubbed her wrists.

"Mr. Hoowis."

"Miss Tachi."

Hoowis raised his hand in acknowledgement and turned back to Obi-Wan.

"So, what happens now?"

"Both of you get changed. We'll get some clothes and gear ready for you in the back. You can't go running around in those ridiculous robes in my army."

"But…"

"Don't question me. Until you head back to your Order, you are under my command. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good."

Siri suddenly interjected.

"What about our lightsabers?"

"You'll get them back. Tonight, you'll need them."

"For what?"

"We're going planetside and attacking one of Husan's supply depots tonight. You two are coming with us, to prove if you have what it takes to serve the cause. Don't worry: I'll give you the details at the proper time. Until then, use this time to get changed."

Siri shrugged somewhat too casually as Obi-Wan pondered what came next.

_I managed to save our lives, but what happens next? We came here to find that tomb, not to fight a war!_

* * *

"Your clothes are in there, Jedi. Get changed promptly and meet me out here once you're done."

With that, Horn ushered Obi-Wan and Siri into a bank of shower stalls, each with a small privacy door in front of it and a towel rack opposite the entrance. The two closest stalls had a set of clothes on the towel rack, neatly arranged for the two Padawans. As Horn shut the door behind the two, Obi-Wan turned to Siri, who shrugged at him with a sheepish look on her face.

"Well, guess we'd better do as he says."

The Padawans split off into their respective stalls and closed the privacy doors before removing their disheveled Jedi robes, speaking to each other as they undressed and put on their new clothes.

"Is your head alright, Siri?"

"It's fine. The doctors didn't see any unusual brain activity or evidence of a concussion. What happened to you?"

"I went planetside with the Masters. I was fired upon from the ground: IR-guided missile, by the look of it. It crippled my engines and hydraulic system, and I must have ejected."

"Must have?"

"I don't remember anything after pulling the handle until the med bay. I was probably unconscious. Either that, or my brain doesn't want to remember what happened after I pulled the handle."

"Well, for such a hard knock you still know how to negotiate, even with the roughest of characters. And I thought Sergeant Crabby was belligerent…"

"He's just cautious, Siri. You and I both know the Jedi are particularly unpopular in many parts of the galaxy."

"There's a difference between _that_ and waving a knife in someone's face the minute you first talk to them, Obi-Wan."

"This is a rough, wild world, Siri. He's probably done far worse."

"You can say that again…I didn't know you spoke _Mando'a_."

"I learned on Mandalore, with Qui-Gon. Back when we went there three years ago."

"Oh, you told me about that. Protecting the Duchess, right?"

"Right."

Obi-Wan's mind went back to the mission three years earlier, the memories playing in his mind like a holofilm. A quiet city street turned into an explosive deathtrap before his very eyes; a peaceful morning shattered by screaming and blaster fire; a terrified scramble through a cave of wild insects; a man flying through the air, burning alive. And a hungry, tearful, forbidden kiss…

"Obie?"

Obi-Wan realized that while lost in thought, he had forgotten to speak or even continue putting his clothes on. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Siri peeking out from over the privacy door of her stall, her head craned over the top of the door and her shoulders enticingly bare. Obi-Wan craned his head out over the door on his stall to meet her gaze with his. He saw concern in her eyes; concern not just for his emotional state, but also for what secrets his memories held.

_I hope she never finds out. For both our sakes._

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…just memories."

"Of what?"

"Things I saw there…dark things."

_And forbidden things…love. Love that didn't involve you._

"I don't want to talk about it, Siri. I don't want to upset you."

"Oh…well, thank you for your concern."

Something in her voice told Obi-Wan that she knew he was being economical with the truth, but she didn't seem willing to press the matter. Obi-Wan thought back to the last time she had asked about Satine, a year ago when he had related the story to Siri for the first time over a glass of Corellian rum.

_And she was too afraid to ask back then, as well._

The Padawans stepped away from the privacy doors and turned back to their new clothes, examining them as they put them on. Obi-Wan had a pair of dark green trousers and black boots, a white undershirt, a khaki shirt, and a brown leather jacket. An equipment belt also hung on the rack, his lightsaber strapped to it as well as a heavy blaster pistol.

_Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose._

As he began to get dressed, Obi-Wan heard Siri's voice again.

"So, what's the plan, Kenobi? You told me to follow your lead, so what are we going to do now?"

"We work with these rebels, and help them get rid of this 'Husan' fellow. Then, we make sure they hold up their end of the bargain and help us find the tomb."

Siri chuckled, a teasing air to her voice as she replied.

"You make it sound so simple, Kenobi. We don't even know who 'Husan' is. And you heard what Hoowis said; these rebels seem to think that tomb is either a folk tale or a giant deathtrap. They're either too skeptical or too scared to help us."

"You don't know that, Siri. We're just starting out with them right now; once we earn their trust and respect, they'll be more inclined to take us seriously."

"And what about 'Husan'? He could be the good guy in this for all we know."

"Well, he sent his own armed forces to kill us and our Masters without pity or remorse. Whoever he is, he's certainly not particular about means to his end. If he's in the right here, he's certainly trigger-happy despite that fact."

"So because he tried to kill us, he's automatically the bad guy? Sounds like revenge to me, Kenobi."

"We're not here for these rebels, Siri. They're just a means to an end; our purpose here remains unchanged. Our mission is still to find that tomb, whether with the Masters or with these rebels. If we have to fight someone else's war to get to our goal, then so be it."

"And it seems _you're_ not very particular about means to your end either, Kenobi. Whatever happened to the rule-follower I've known for the past eleven years?"

"You have a better plan, then?"

Obi-Wan finished getting dressed and opened the door to his stall. As he stepped out, Siri's door swung open, and she turned with it to face Obi-Wan, resting her head and forearms on the top of the door with a coquettish grin on her face and playfulness in her voice.

"I don't know. You told me to follow your lead, remember? You're the one doing the planning."

Obi-Wan rested on top of his own door and met her gaze, his face now precariously close to hers. Involuntarily, a large grin went over his features as he spoke.

"You care to raise a formal objection?"

Siri widened her eyes and pouted, replying with mock obsequiousness.

"Oh, no. Never to such a wise and fearless leader."

Obi-Wan's grin widened.

"Good. You'd better not…"

The Padawans snapped their heads towards a banging sound on the door. Horn's voice could clearly be heard on the other side.

"Jedi! Are you ready yet?"

"We're coming!"

Obi-Wan turned back to Siri.

"Are you dressed yet?"

"Yes. Just let me fix my hair. I'll catch up to you."

_Women…_

"I'll let Horn know."

Without a word more, Obi-Wan walked into the hallway, where Horn and several guards stood outside the door.

"She needs to fix her hair. She'll be out in a moment."

"Very well. Come with me, Obi-Wan."

As the two left, Horn gestured to several female guards.

"Stay here, and accompany the woman to the ready room once she comes out."

"Yes, sir."

Obi-Wan, Horn, and the male guards started off down the corridor, the Padawan pondering what came next.

_I think it's time we show our new allies the power of the Force._


	8. First Encounters

**Chapter 7**

**First Encounters**

"You're here. Good."

Obi-Wan nodded to Hoowis as he acknowledged the Padawan's arrival in the ready room, while Horn and the guards remained at the door to wait for Siri. Looking around, Obi-Wan saw the room was similar in size to a medium-sized classroom, with a large, ancient-looking holoprojector at its center and tiered seating benches arranged around it. Hoowis stood near the holoprojector, in the process of adjusting some of its controls as he turned to face Obi-Wan.

"Where's Miss Tachi?"

"She'll be here in a minute, Mr. Hoowis. She's fixing her hair right now."

"Ah…I suppose we'll wait, then. Have a seat, Kenobi."

Obi-Wan sat down on one of the benches as Hoowis turned back to the holoprojector. Then, a familiar voice rang out from the room's entrance.

"I'm here, Mr. Hoowis."

Turning to face the voice, Obi-Wan and Hoowis saw Siri entering the ready room with roughly a dozen soldiers behind her. Siri's new outfit was similar to Obi-Wan's, with brown trousers instead of Obi-Wan's green and a black leather jacket over a white tank top. Her hair was gathered into a single braid draped over her right shoulder and her lightsaber hung from her belt next to various utility pouches. Like Obi-Wan, she also carried a heavy blaster pistol on her right hip.

_We're certainly an odd sight now: we look more like bounty hunters than Jedi. I'm glad our Masters aren't here to see this._

She walked over to Obi-Wan and sat down next to him as the soldiers behind her split off into various corners of the room and took their seats. The two shared a nervous smile before turning their attention to Hoowis and the holoprojector. Hoowis, still standing at the controls of the projector, turned to address the occupants of the room.

"All of you. Eyes and ears on me. Before we get started, I would like to address the rumors swirling around the ship. Yes, we have two Jedi aboard. They're sitting with you right now. Kenobi, Tachi, stand up."

Obi-Wan and Siri glanced at each other in shock before Hoowis spoke again.

"You heard me, Jedi. On your feet."

Looking back at Siri, Obi-Wan saw her shrug, her mouth cocked to one side in resignation.

_I guess we'd better do as he says._

Obi-Wan and Siri stood up as Hoowis continued.

"Ladies and gentlemen, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siri Tachi. These two were shot down by Husan's forces over Kokeem, and now they work for us. They will accompany us on our little excursion tonight."

Obi-Wan could feel the eyes of everyone in the room boring through he and Siri, the mood in the room being a mixture of amazement and fear.

_They've probably never seen a Jedi before, and they don't know what to make of us. Still, with all these strangers gawping at us, I feel less like a Jedi and more like an animal at the zoo._

"Have a seat, Jedi. We have a briefing to get through here. Pay attention to what I say: it might save your life."

The Padawans sat back down as Hoowis paused and looked around the room, taking in his audience before continuing.

"First things first. We're splitting into two teams of six for this assault. I will command one, while Mr. Horn commands the other. Jedi, you'll be split up as well. Tachi, you're with Horn. Kenobi, you're with me. This is your first time with us, so stick with your leaders at all times. You are under our command from now on; never forget that. We say jump, you ask how high. We tell you to piss; you run to the nearest latrine without hesitation. You use this as an opportunity to cross me, and I'll kill both of you without a second thought. You do well here, and you'll begin to earn my trust. The choice is yours, and so are the consequences. Understood?"

Obi-Wan and Siri nodded in assent.

"Then we understand each other."

Hoowis turned to the holoprojector and fingered the switch, the worn-out machine blinking to life. The image depicted a cross-section of what looked to be a building next to a large body of water.

"This is our target for tonight, a KDF supply warehouse on the edge of Lake Zojadab. It's fairly well stocked, and destroying it will hamper KDF operations in the region. Our local sources tell us that roughly a platoon-sized force, as well as one patrol boat, defends this particular facility. The defenders have a number of fortified positions, sandbags and so forth, at key locations with heavy repeating blasters already deployed. We'll land on the other side of the lake, and make the approach by boat, courtesy of a local fisherman. To deal with the patrol boat, a small detachment will be set aside to disembark once the patrol boat is spotted. Our fishing boat will get the enemy's attention, and while the patrol boat stops us the detachment will swim to the patrol boat and take it by force. Then, the detachment will escort the fishing boat in, posing as the crew of the patrol boat having detained a civilian vessel. Once the boats reach the dock, we will disembark and launch our attack. The boarding party will rejoin the main force, and then we will assault the main warehouse. There will be a large amount of munitions and explosives inside the warehouse, so all we need to do is secure the area, and then plant our sequencer charges in the right places and set the timers. Once that's done, we will exfiltrate using the boat we came in. The shuttle will be waiting on the other side of the lake, and then we'll leave the atmosphere and enter hyperspace before Husan knows what's hit him."

One of the soldiers spoke up.

"Who's the boarding party, sir?"

"I originally planned on using three men for this task, but with our new arrivals I'm adding a fourth. Kenobi!"

"Sir?"

"You're with the boarding party. You'll board and take the patrol boat, and then escort the main force in."

"Yes…yes, sir."

Obi-Wan could only sit there, taking in his newfound responsibility as he felt a pang of dread from Siri.

_From what he says, this is quite the hair-raising plan, and I'll be at the forefront of it. This is certainly a jarring welcome from our newfound allies._

"We're taking the shuttle: be in the hangar in two hours, with full combat gear. See Mr. Horn beforehand so we can allocate the sequencer charges. Any questions?"

The room remained silent.

"Then this briefing is closed. Remember, two hours. Dismissed!"

* * *

As the group entered the hangar, Obi-Wan marveled at the massive space he now stood in. A large shuttle sat at the center of the hangar, its boarding ramp extended, while four CloakShapes, two on each side, flanked it. In the corner of the hangar, he could see Siri's Delta-6 with mechanics swarming it from all sides. Other mechanics and maintenance droids worked on the CloakShapes, toying with the innards of the fighters through removed panels.

"This clearly isn't stock to a Corellian Corvette, Mr. Hoowis. Where did you get this hangar from?"

"You know your ships, boy. Aye, she's a modified vessel. She once belonged to Husan's fleet, to the KDF. He probably had this done by Corellian Engineering, or by some shipyard somewhere. She makes an excellent light carrier, that's for sure."

"What's her name?"

"She's the _Wolverine._ We captured her years ago, back when we had no fleet. A large raiding party took this vessel and a few CloakShapes from one of Husan's spaceports. We've used her since."

"What can she carry?"

"We usually have four CloakShapes for combat space patrol, as well as that shuttle. Now, of course, we also have what remains of your friend's starfighter."

As he continued, Hoowis led Obi-Wan and the others towards the shuttle, walking the Padawan around the craft as he lectured with pride in his voice.

"She's a tough old girl, she is. Class 3 hyperdrive, and she's large enough to host a medical droid, repulsor sled, and holoprojector in addition to twenty fully equipped soldiers."

"Are we taking her planetside?"

"We are indeed. We'll leave the ship here and go into hyperspace ourselves. Once we're done, we'll fly back into space and hyperspace back to the _Wolverine._ That way, Husan won't be able to find the location of this ship."

Horn's voice broke up the conversation.

"We're ready when you are, sir."

"Very well, Horn."

Hoowis gestured for the group to enter the shuttle. Obi-Wan followed him in, with Siri, Horn, and the others in tow. Entering the shuttle's main compartment, Obi-Wan saw a series of seats along the bulkhead, each with an elaborate harness system to presumably keep the occupant in during a potential crash sequence. Behind him was a set of blast doors leading into the shuttle's cockpit, open to reveal the two pilots already sitting at the controls, doing their final checks. In the center of the room sat a repulsor sled, large enough to carry a man or a sizeable amount of cargo, with a well-used holoprojector and a medical droid by its side. Light strips lined the roof on either side, the lights glowing a dim red.

_It looks like we're going in at night._

As the last of the group entered the main compartment, Hoowis took up a position in the center, standing at the head of the repulsor sled as he gestured to the group.

"Everybody strap in."

Hearing his commander's voice, the pilot turned around in his seat to face Hoowis. Hoowis gave the man a nod, and in the next instant the ramp retracted as the blast doors closed and the occupants strapped themselves into their seats. Obi-Wan felt the shuttle lurch, and then slowly swivel around before accelerating. Several seconds later, the pilot's voice came over the intercom.

"We're entering hyperspace in roughly four minutes. Stand by."

As the compartment grew silent, Obi-Wan settled in for the trip to Kokeem. Resting his head back against his seat's musty headrest and contemplating his first encounter soon to come, his mind went back to his first encounter with the savagery of Mandalore…

* * *

**Three years earlier…**

Obi-Wan found himself transfixed by the passing streets of Sundari; the storefronts, passerby, and sidewalks sauntering past the limousine's window in a formless, gentle blur. Next to him sat Qui-Gon, facing ahead towards the driver's compartment. To the Jedi's left sat Inspector Brun and Captain Svest, and across from the Jedi the Duchess sat by herself, the driver's compartment at her back and a glass of champagne in her hand. Glancing occasionally at the Duchess, Obi-Wan could see worry in her eyes as she sipped at her drink.

_She's trying to calm her nerves. Poor thing._

Suddenly noticing that he was hot, Obi-Wan went for the switch to lower the window, before Inspector Brun lashed out towards his hand.

"Don't! The windows are armored!"

Obi-Wan yanked his hand away from the switch as Inspector Brun turned to the driver's compartment and the Duchess snapped out of her somewhat tipsy trance to see what had provoked her protectors.

"Driver, more air conditioning for the Jedi, please."

"Right away, sir."

Incredulous, Obi-Wan turned to speak to Brun.

"Is it really that dangerous?"

"Trust me, Jedi. It is."

As Brun's words set in, Obi-Wan began to scan his surroundings. The limousine, apart from its size and its luxurious interior, was relatively inconspicuous, painted a simple, semi-gloss black. In front of and behind it, various unmarked RMPS landspeeders bracketed the vehicle. At the head of the motorcade and at its tail, RMPS swoop bikes guided the landspeeders through the streets, their lights and sirens warning the populace to make way. The Duchess continued to sip at her champagne, trying not to make eye contact with anyone in the compartment as Obi-Wan saw increasing worry on her features.

_What has her so worried? I know this place is dangerous, but this is just a routine drive._

An explosion rocked the limousine, throwing its occupants to the floor. Instinctively, Brun, Obi-Wan, and Captain Svest threw themselves over the Duchess as she hugged the floor, terror in her eyes. Qui-Gon brought himself into a crouched position on the floor of the compartment and scanned the surroundings through the windows, his lightsaber in hand and his finger on the activation switch. Seeing his Master's stance, Obi-Wan clumsily brought his hand up and called his own lightsaber to it with the Force. Captain Svest turned to the Jedi, urgency in his voice.

"Jedi! We've got the Duchess! Go outside and see what the hell just happened!"

Obi-Wan jumped off of the three Mandalorians and rushed to Qui-Gon's side. With only a brief glance between them, Master and Padawan rushed out of the limousine, quickly shutting the door behind them as they ignited their lightsabers and scanned their surroundings. The air still hung with dust from the shattered building at the center of the blast, but in front of the limousine the Jedi could clearly see the charred remains of wrecked RMPS vehicles, fire licking their twisted metal frames. Shouting and screaming filled the air as RMPS officers dismounted their vehicles and rushed to the scene while panicked civilians fled in terror. The Jedi cautiously approached the wreckage, scanning their surroundings and tapping into the Force for the slightest sign of danger. Qui-Gon reached out to Obi-Wan through their Force bond.

_Keep your focus, Obi-Wan. This could be a prelude to a larger attack on the motorcade, and if it is we're in a very vulnerable position here._

One of the RMPS swoop bikes pulled up in front of the Jedi, and the officer riding it ran to the driver's side of the nearest wrecked landspeeder and looked into the lifeless, scorched cabin. As the Jedi neared the wreckage, the smell of burning fuel and roasting flesh grew stronger with every step. Obi-Wan felt a growing queasiness at the sickening odor as memories of yet another civil war came into his mind.

_And I thought I'd seen everything on Melida/Daan…karabast!_

Seeing the Jedi approaching him, the swoop officer turned to his visitors with a sour expression.

"They're all dead, Jedi. Nobody walks away from something like this."

Qui-Gon lowered his lightsaber and spoke to the officer.

"What happened?"

"IED, from the looks of it."

"IED?"

"Improvised Explosive Device, Obi-Wan. A roadside bomb."

The officer turned to speak to Obi-Wan.

"We do what we can to sweep the roads, kid. Especially when the Duchess is on them. Still, even with her we can't stop everything."

Before he could say anything else, Obi-Wan heard Qui-Gon's voice through their Force bond.

_Don't say anything else, Obi-Wan. I can sense your suspicions of inside help. We can clean up this mess now and worry about where to go next later._

Obi-Wan examined the shattered landspeeder, the stench of burnt flesh and fuel now overpowering. As he ran his eyes over what was left of the vehicle, he saw what looked like strips of meat stuck to the jagged edges.

_Human flesh._

The Padawan finally looked away from the carnage, ready to vomit at the horrific spectacle before him. Noticing the young man's shaken state, the swoop officer stepped forward and placed his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, a grim but reassuring tone to his words.

"Welcome to Mandalore, son."

* * *

**Present day…**

_Obie?_

Obi-Wan slowly returned to the here and now, the shuttle's interior coming back into focus as he heard Siri through their Force bond.

_Obie? Are you okay?_

_I'm fine…I'm fine, Siri._

_Well, that's a relief._

_What happened?_

_You fell asleep, apparently. I could sense unease in you, though. I think you were having a nightmare._

The images of the shattered speeder and its shredded occupants flashed through Obi-Wan's mind one last time before he turned his focus on the present, painfully releasing the flurry of emotions into the Force.

_Yes…it was just a bad dream, Siri. I'm fine now._

_Well, you'd better wake up fast. We just entered the atmosphere, and the pilot says we're about to land._

Obi-Wan continued to wake up, focusing and letting the Force flow through his nervous body as he tried to purge the aftertaste of the nightmare of Mandalore and prepare himself for the demanding task ahead.

_That boat hijacking they have planned is a gutsy move, Kenobi. For what it's worth, though, I think you can do it._

Obi-Wan took heart in Siri's encouragement, smiling and looking towards her. Seeing her sitting on the other side of the crew compartment, she smiled back at him, a half-reassuring, half-mischievous look on her face.

_Thanks, Siri._

_Just focus, Obie. You'll need all your wits about you to survive this._

The pilot's voice over the intercom broke up the Padawans' wordless conversation.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We're about to land, so get ready to disembark."

Within seconds, Obi-Wan heard the distinctive whirring of the shuttle's landing gear motors and felt the craft shudder as the gear locked into place. Shortly thereafter, the shuttle hit the ground with a gentle bounce, the gear's suspension systems cushioning the impact. Again, the pilot addressed his cargo.

"We're down. Unstrap your seatbelts and clear the ramp!"

The shuttle's boarding ramp unlocked and opened as Obi-Wan and the others released their seat harnesses and prepared to disembark. Taking a moment to stretch his stiff legs, Obi-Wan then turned to the ramp as the rest of the strike team began to step off onto the surface of Kokeem. Following the others down the ramp, Obi-Wan felt a cool, pleasant nighttime breeze against his skin as his boot hit the wet, grassy Kokeemi soil. The pleasant aroma of wet soil drifted into his nostrils as Obi-Wan scanned his surroundings. The shuttle had landed in an isolated area, with only the planet's moon providing any sort of light. Looking to his right, Obi-Wan saw the moonlight reflecting off of ripples on a body of water.

_That must be the body of water we're to cross to reach our target. Lake Zojadab, if I remember correctly._

Looking up towards the horizon, Obi-Wan saw a series of bright lights, holding still on the other side of the barely visible lake.

_That's probably our destination._

"I see it too, Obie."

Turning towards Siri's voice, he saw her standing to his left, her eyes focused on the distant lights. Nervousness radiated from Siri, her mind clearly going over the battle to come. Obi-Wan spoke up in the most jovial tone he could muster, hoping to cheer her up.

"At least they've left the lights on for us."

Siri managed a short, ironic chuckle before Hoowis approached the two.

"Our contact is somewhere along the shore. I'll do the talking: just follow my lead. We'll split up into squads once we're aboard the boat. Remember, Jedi, I'm watching you. So don't kark this up."

Without a reply, Obi-Wan and Siri followed Hoowis and the others along the edge of the lake, moving perpendicularly to the lights on the horizon. Horn stood at the head of the group, his blaster pistol drawn and held at his hip, ready for a snap shot at any potential threats. The other FKA members followed cautiously behind him, their rifles and carbines at the ready and their heads periodically moving to examine their surroundings. Hoowis stood in the center of the group, a blaster rifle clutched in his hands. By now, Obi-Wan could distinctly hear the gentle lapping of the lake in the breeze as the water lazily sloshed against the shore. The lights in the distance cast an ominous glow over the otherwise serene lakeside. Out of the darkness, a voice suddenly called out to the group, speaking in Kokeemi.

"Who goes there?"

The voice sounded like it belonged to an older man, probably in his 60s or older and with a smoking habit. Hoowis raised his fist to signal the group to halt, before stepping forward and answering the challenge in Kokeemi. As he did this, the rest of the group trained their blasters on the source of the voice, while Obi-Wan and Siri carried their hands to their lightsabers.

"Friends."

The man responded, still speaking Kokeemi.

"Have you come to buy fish, friends?"

"Yes. Bring us your choicest catch."

A figure stepped out of the black void, coming into focus as he approached the group and the moonlight illuminated his features. He was an elderly man, with large muscles and leathery skin that spoke to a rough, physically strenuous life. His hair was white as snow, with a long beard to match. He held a pipe in his hand and was dressed in dirty coveralls, and as he approached Obi-Wan noticed that he smelled of fish.

_Ugh…this must be our contact. I would have preferred someone with the wherewithal to afford cologne, but beggars can't be choosers._

The man approached Hoowis as the group lowered their weapons, and reached his hand out to shake Hoowis'. Hoowis shook the man's hand with a smile, and the two greeted each other, now speaking Basic.

"Good to see you again, Sharf."

"And you as well, Blu'up."

Blu'up put his pipe to his lips as Hoowis almost instinctively pulled out a lighter. Lighting his friend's pipe, Hoowis pocketed his lighter and ushered the rest of the group forward as Blu'up led them ahead, puffing on his pipe as he walked.

"Is the boat ready?"

"Just like you asked, Sharf. She's warmed up and ready to go. Just get your men aboard, and I'll get you there."

"Slight change of plans. Now we have four of our men hijacking their patrol boat. Otherwise, though, our plan is the same. They'll take the patrol boat and escort us in, pretending to have detained your vessel. That should allow us to get in close without raising suspicion and take the KDF by surprise."

"Four men?"

"I've assigned a new arrival to this job."

Blu'up turned to Hoowis with wide eyes, his mouth almost open enough for his pipe to fall onto the wet soil.

"That's real risky, putting one of your new guys on this."

"It is, but this new man has shown tremendous promise. Having him present could give us a tremendous advantage."

"If you say so, Sharf. Still, whoever your new guy is had better have _real_ balls before he boards that boat."

"Well, we'll find out soon enough."

Siri nudged Obi-Wan's shoulder, a sly grin on her face.

 _I think they're talking about_ you, _Obie._ _  
_

Out of the darkness, the shape of a small boat became visible in front of the party, moored at a small pier. A man looking to be in his mid-30s sat in a chair on the pier, sharpening a knife. At his side, a boy of roughly ten whittled away at a piece of wood with a pocketknife. As Blu'up approached the boat, the man silently rose from his chair and approached as the boy tugged at his hand.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

The man stopped and knelt down, turning to address the boy. Obi-Wan couldn't help but be reminded of the very first days of his apprenticeship to Qui-Gon.

_And he's probably back at the Temple now, stricken with grief over my apparent death. I wish I could contact him now, tell him I'm alive._

"Shh. Remember what I told you? I need you to be quiet now."

"Yes, Daddy."

The boy remained in his place as his father rose and greeted Blu'up.

"She's ready when you are, Dad."

"Thanks."

_That must be his son and grandson._

Blu'up ushered the group forward as he turned to his grandson.

"Can I come again, Pa?"

"You can indeed!"

Blu'up picked up his grandson and helped him aboard as Hoowis and the rest of the strike team stepped aboard the boat. Obi-Wan followed them aboard and then extended his hand to Siri. She took it and climbed aboard as their eyes met and the two shared a smile, enjoying the brief sensation of their hands intertwined. Siri paused for a moment after stepping aboard, holding her gaze on Obi-Wan. For that brief moment, Obi-Wan found himself transfixed by her smile despite the danger soon to come, her hand still resting in his. Then, slowly, she slipped her hand out of his grip and the two parted ways, as Obi-Wan prepared for what lay ahead with a renewed sense of vigor.

* * *

Obi-Wan peered out from under the tarpaulin, scanning the moonlit water for any sign of the approaching patrol boat. Around him, the rest of the strike team lay huddled together under a series of other tarpaulins, waiting for their part in the operation to begin. Next to Obi-Wan were the three other members of the boarding party, including its leader, Strush. Strush looked to be in his late 30s, with leathery skin and a prominent scar on his forehead as well as a gruff demeanor.

_He's a seasoned veteran, to be sure._

Looking up, Obi-Wan saw Blu'up and his son at the helm, his grandson proudly looking up at his father and grandfather as he stood at their side.

_I can't believe they let him tag along for this. Still, you were doing things like this with Qui-Gon when you weren't much older than him, weren't you?_

Looking to his right, Obi-Wan could sense Siri's Force presence under one of the tarps. Sure enough, she lifted the edge high enough to scan her surroundings, Horn visible by her side. The shapes of two other men were visible under the tarp next to Horn and Siri. Although he couldn't see them from his position, Obi-Wan knew Hoowis and the remainder of the group were directly behind him, split into two groups of three. Looking over at Siri, Obi-Wan briefly wanted to share a glance with her, but his sense of duty quickly brought him back to the moment at hand, and he turned his head back out towards the horizon.

_You're a Jedi, damn it. Act like one, not like some lovestruck schoolboy!_

Against the moonlight, his peripheral vision registered motion on the water. Looking towards the motion's source, Obi-Wan saw the faint outline of a boat's wake.

_That's it! That's the patrol boat!_

Turning to Blu'up, he saw the old man looking right at him, clearly having just seen the boat. He gave a slight nod to Obi-Wan as the Padawan retreated back under the tarp, turning to the three men beside him.

"I've sighted the boat."

Strush didn't miss a beat.

"Alright, Jedi. You go in first; we're right behind you."

Obi-Wan slid to the left edge of the tarpaulin, right on the fishing boat's port side. Looking down at the rushing water, Obi-Wan crossed his arms over his chest and rolled into the lake. Hitting the water, he quickly tucked his limbs in, attempting to avoid the vessel's propellers. Over the next several seconds, he heard splashes as the three other members of the boarding party rolled off of the deck and into the water. Obi-Wan came to the surface to get his bearings, scanning the lake as he drew a breath. Blu'up's boat was now slowing down, the patrol boat coming up on its port side. Obi-Wan heard more splashes around him as the rest of the team surfaced, and a quick glance to them confirmed that all were alive, well, and swimming. With a swift gesture, Strush signaled the boarding party forward, and then began swimming towards the boat at the head of the group. As the group drew closer, Obi-Wan got his first close-up view of the vessel he was to take. The boat was a small vessel with a raised helm amidships and a heavy blaster cannon mounted on the bow, manned by a single crewman. The coxswain stood at the helm, an armed guard at his side with a rifle in his hands and another manning a searchlight bolted to the helm's windscreen, his rifle slung across his back. Aft of them, another guard manned what looked like a repeating grenade launcher mounted on the stern. As the boarding party swam ever closer, Obi-Wan focused on the man on the aft-mounted grenade launcher.

_He's the greatest threat; just a few bursts and he can kill everyone on the deck of that fishing boat. Then, the man on the bow-mounted blaster cannon, and then the men at the helm._

Strush signaled Obi-Wan and the others to halt and gather around, and then quickly outlined his plan.

"The crewmen on the mounted weapons are the greatest threat. Jedi, take the one on the after turret. I'll take the one on the forward turret. You two," he pointed to the remaining two boarders, "come in from opposite ends of the helm, fore and aft. It won't take the Jedi and myself long to deal with the gunners, and then we'll converge on the helm along with you. They'll lose their boat before they know what hit them. Use vibroblades, blunt weapons, or your fists: blaster fire–or your lightsaber, Jedi–will light up the entire lake, and everyone at that warehouse will see it. Understood?"

Obi-Wan and his comrades nodded in assent. Strush raised his hand and then drove it downward, and the boarding party plunged under, swimming for the boat.


	9. Flashes in the Dark

**Chapter 8**

**Flashes in the Dark**

Under the tarpaulin on the fishing boat's deck, Siri peered out from under the crack at the bottom of the tarp, examining the patrol boat through the small slit as Horn looked over her shoulder, his hand wrapped tightly around his pistol. Through the darkness, Siri could see one of the crewmen swinging a large object towards the fishing boat. As if on cue, Horn whispered harshly in her ear.

"Searchlight. Look away!"

Siri spun her head to the right as a deluge of light illuminated the fishing boat, turning the world outside the tarp bright as day. As the light came on, a man's voice split the quiet night air.

"Unidentified vessel, you are in restricted waters. Heave to immediately."

Blu'up responded as Siri felt the boat slow to a halt.

"My apologies, I was just out fishing!"

"These are restricted waters, sir. You can't be here."

"What, I can't fish here anymore?"

"Sir, these are restricted waters. Turn back immediately, or you will be detained and brought ashore."

"Excuse me? You'll have to forgive me: I'm a little hard of hearing."

_Like hell he is._

"Sir, this is your last warning. Turn away or you will be detained."

_Any day now, Kenobi!_

* * *

Obi-Wan broke the surface as the coxswain delivered his ultimatum. The patrol boat's starboard side was now in reach, its crew as focused on Blu'up as its searchlight.

_Time to end this charade._

Looking to his right, Obi-Wan saw Strush and the other men, waiting for Strush's signal. Strush nodded to the group, and Obi-Wan turned back to his front and began to quietly pull himself onto the patrol boat's deck. As he climbed up, he saw the man on the grenade launcher, no more than a meter away as he kept his weapon trained on the fishing boat now bathed in light.

_You should have paid more attention._

Obi-Wan grabbed the man from behind, clamping his hand over the man's mouth as he sent him a sleep suggestion. The man ceased struggling and went limp as Obi-Wan let his unconscious body down. A shout from the boat's helm broke the nighttime silence.

"Hey!"

Without conscious thought, Obi-Wan sprang towards the helm as the coxswain drew a pistol. With a flick of his left wrist, Obi-Wan flung the man's pistol into the lake as he took the hilt of his lightsaber in his right, holding the pommel upwards. Looking to his front, he saw Strush grab the forward gunner and drag him from his weapon. The gunner went for his pistol, but as his hand reached its grip Strush drew his vibroblade across the gunner's throat in a single, fluid motion. The gunner's hands shot to his neck as Strush pushed him towards the boat's edge. Unable to stop his forward momentum, the dying gunner stumbled overboard as Obi-Wan focused on the coxswain. Before the man could raise his hands to defend himself, Obi-Wan was upon him. Wielding the hilt of his lightsaber as a blackjack, the Padawan brought the hard metal cylinder down on the coxswain's head. The man slumped over the helm as Obi-Wan struck him again, knocking him to the deck. Turning to the searchlight, Obi-Wan saw one of the crewmen swinging his rifle towards him. The Padawan closed the gap, slipping within reach of the rifle as he struck the man in the temple with the hilt of his lightsaber. The man recoiled under the blow as Obi-Wan pulled the rifle from his hands and smashed the butt into the man's face, knocking him unconscious. The blow threw the man into his fellow operating the searchlight, knocking the searchlight operator out of his place and onto the deck. As Obi-Wan quickly shut off the searchlight with the Force, the light operator backpedaled and attempted to unsling his rifle. He barely had it in his hands when another boarder leapt upon him and pinned him to the deck, his vibroblade raised as the rifle flew out of the operator's hands and clattered to the deck. The two men briefly struggled as the boarder brought his blade closer and closer to the operator's throat, until the boarder overpowered his enemy with a mighty shove and drove the vibroblade into the operator's Adam's apple. The operator clutched at his enemy's forearm, his legs kicking impotently as a sick gargling noise emanated from his throat. After a few seconds, his body went limp, and he relaxed onto the deck, dead. Obi-Wan could only watch in grim acceptance as his comrade unceremoniously heaved the dead operator's corpse over the side.

_Such violence is not the Jedi way. But, this isn't usual Jedi business. This is war: it's kill or be killed._

Obi-Wan rushed to the helm and waved to the others on the fishing boat, signaling the capture of the vessel. Blu'up leaned out from the helm and shouted to the strike team, still hidden under the tarpaulins.

"We've got the boat!"

Before anything else could happen, the boat's radio crackled to life.

"Patrol boat, report in. Over."

Obi-Wan dashed to the radio and grasped the receiver, pushing the talk button.

"This is patrol boat. Over."

"What happened out there? Over."

"We ran into a civilian vessel trespassing within our limits. Over."

"We saw your searchlight go out, Patrol. Are you all right? Over."

"Affirmative. There were partisans on the civilian vessel, and they attempted to board us after we spotted them. We've subdued them, and are bringing the civilian vessel in. Over."

The man paused for a moment, and Obi-Wan tensed for the worst.

_Will he buy this?_

After several agonizing seconds, the man's voice came back over the radio.

"Understood, Patrol. Glad to hear you're still there. Do you have any friendly casualties? Over."

"Affirmative. One crewman KIA. Have someone ready to bring his body ashore. Over."

"Understood, Patrol. I'll contact the morgue. Just bring that boat in. Over."

"Wilco. Out."

Hanging up the receiver, Obi-Wan turned his attention to the rest of the boarding party, now rallying at the helm. Strush stepped over to the helm, looking at Obi-Wan with well-concealed satisfaction.

_Looks like I impressed him._

"Excellent work. The boat is ours."

"What now?"

"Look for coats or ponchos. Anything we can wear over our clothing to help the charade. We need to get as close as possible to the docks without arousing suspicion. We'll go ashore posing as the boat's crew, and then throw off the coats once the main force attacks."

"What about the unconscious ones?"

"A boat this size is bound to have some sort of cabin. Tie them up and throw them in there. Jedi, you take the helm immediately. You'll steer us in."

"Right away."

"Once you're done, I want one of you, except for the Jedi, to head over to the fishing boat. Take her in alongside this patrol boat; make sure to stand at the helm and look conspicuous. That'll help sell the illusion of us having captured the fishing boat."

"Understood."

Signaling to the other boarders, Strush and his comrades dragged off the three unconscious crewmen as Obi-Wan's commlink rang. He raised it to his lips and pushed the talk button.

"Yes?"

"Good work, Jedi. Did the forces ashore buy the ruse?"

"They did, Mr. Hoowis. All we need to do is head for the docks. We'll send one of the boarding party over to commandeer your boat, make it look like we seized the vessel."

"Understood. We'll stay under the tarps here until we reach the docks. Remember, Jedi, nobody fires until I do."

"Understood, Mr. Hoowis."

Obi-Wan hung up his commlink and turned his gaze to the lights of the warehouse on the horizon. The fishing boat had come roughly halfway across the lake before being intercepted, and the small specks he had seen from the landing zone were now much larger and more distinct, the rough outline of the facility coming into view. Obi-Wan released a pang of nervousness into the Force as he gazed upon his final objective, imagining what deadly surprises waited under the bright lights.

_Here goes nothing._

* * *

"Jedi, give us an opening."

Siri reached forward and lifted the tarpaulin just enough for Hoowis to scan the docks with his electrobinoculars. After Obi-Wan and the boarding party had seized the boat, Hoowis had moved under the tarp where Horn and Siri lay, while a member of the boarding party had come aboard to take the fishing boat to the docks, giving the illusion of a captured vessel. Blu'up and his son and grandson were crouched behind the helm, out of sight of any prying eyes ashore. Ahead of the fishing boat was the warehouse, now a clearly visible and rapidly growing series of lights and large buildings against the dark backdrop of the lake and the countryside. Looking to her left, Siri could see the patrol boat; Obi-Wan standing at the helm while the two remaining members of the boarding party manned the boat's turrets. The three men had put on foul-weather coats from below decks to conceal their decidedly non-regulation clothing underneath. She found her eyes locked on Obi-Wan, standing proudly at the helm despite the nervousness radiating from him.

_Standing there, resolute, master of his own vessel, the wind at his back…why does that sight give me feelings I'm ashamed of?_

"Eyes front, Jedi. We're getting close."

Siri turned her eyes forward, taking a deep breath and trying to focus despite her arousal.

_Focus, Tachi. Focus. Taking in your surroundings here could save your life._

Hoowis continued to scan the docks through his electrobinoculars, speaking to Siri and the others as he did so.

"Four hostiles on the left of the docks, carrying rifles. One at the end of the main dock, behind sandbags with a heavy repeating blaster. He's our priority. Three others behind him, with rifles. Four more to the right, three with rifles and one with a carbine. Kill the one with the carbine first: he's probably an officer or an NCO…"

Siri's mind entered an almost trancelike state as she scanned the docks, taking in both Hoowis' words and the men he was describing. The warehouse grew closer and closer as she released her fear into the Force and reached out to Obi-Wan through their bond.

_Like I said on Coruscant, Kenobi. Another day, another credit._

* * *

Siri's words through their Force bond invigorated Obi-Wan as he eyed the docks nervously, a smirk coming over his features as he sent her acknowledgement. Despite her encouragement, though, what he saw at the docks didn't encourage him in the least. Soldiers swarmed all over the concrete, rifles clutched in their hands as others sat at prepared positions behind sandbags, holding heavy repeating blasters to their shoulders. The warehouse complex that was just an ominous light in the distance when he arrived was now an enormous building bathed in bright light, stretching out in front of him like the lair of a monster.

_No one said this would be easy._

Strush, manning the forward turret, turned to Obi-Wan and the remaining boarders, struggling to make his voice audible over the roar of the boat's engines.

"Eyes open. If something goes wrong, all of us will need the boat's firepower to even the odds. Stand by your guns, and be ready for anything."

Obi-Wan and his comrade on the grenade launcher nodded in acknowledgement, and the Padawan turned his focus to the docks now rushing up at him.

_This had better work._

On the docks, a man clutching a carbine gestured for Obi-Wan to bring the boat in. The Padawan carefully pulled the throttle back and gently steered the vessel to starboard, keeping his eyes on the man. A guard walked to the man's side as the boat ground to a halt and the man stepped forward towards the approaching patrol boat.

"Where are your dead?"

"They're below decks, sir."

"I'm 'Sergeant', boy. Not 'sir."

"My apologies, Sergeant. I forgot."

"Don't 'forget' again, sonny, or I'll kick your ass. Now, come ashore, all three of you…wait, I haven't seen you before. Are you new here?"

Obi-Wan began to step away from the helm and spoke as he subtly waved his hand.

"The others don't need to come ashore."

"The others don't need to come ashore."

The sergeant shook his head while saying this, as the man next to him looked on with a bewildered expression. Obi-Wan pressed his advantage as he walked towards the edge of the boat.

"I can come ashore alone."

"You can come ashore alone."

With that, Obi-Wan stepped onto the concrete and shook the sergeant's hand, mind tricking him one last time.

"I'm pleased to see you."

"I'm pleased to see you."

* * *

Siri couldn't help but smile as she watched Obi-Wan mind trick his way ashore, the grizzled sergeant playing along in blissful ignorance.

_That's my Obie!_

Hoowis turned to her, flabbergasted.

"What the bloody hell was that?"

"The power of the Force, Mr. Hoowis."

"What?"

"A mind trick. He bluffed his way ashore with the Force."

Horn joined in the conversation.

"You can manipulate minds with the Force?"

"Technically, yes. But it only works on the weak-minded."

As Siri spoke, she lost track of the fact that she was still holding the tarpaulin up, leaving herself and the others exposed for anyone on the docks to see.

* * *

As Obi-Wan shook the sergeant's hand, he felt a pang of danger from the Force. He dropped his hand abruptly, and felt the cold metal of his lightsaber hilt against his palm as he heard a man shouting.

"UNDER THE TARPS, ON THE BOAT! INTRUDERS!"

_We're doing this the hard way!_

In a single, swift motion, Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and sliced through the sergeant's torso in an uppercut, cleaving him from hip to shoulder. The two halves of the sergeant fell to the ground as the man behind him raised his rifle, terror in his eyes. He had but a moment to ponder his end before Obi-Wan struck him down as well. Hearing blaster fire behind him, Obi-Wan whirled around to see the members of the main force had sprung from their hiding places under the tarpaulins and were now pouring blaster fire into the men on the pier. Two of the KDF soldiers fell immediately, clattering to the concrete. A third manning a heavy repeating blaster behind sandbags raised his weapon and fired an errant burst over the deck of the fishing boat before no less than six bolts tore into his upper chest. The man fell backwards like an uncontrolled puppet, his weapon discharging into the air as he fell. More soldiers across from him returned fire, but were soon cut down by a member of the strike team wielding a heavy repeating blaster. They fell screaming into the water as the first members of the main strike team disembarked the fishing boat and rushed ashore, firing madly all the way. The surviving guards, overwhelmed by the sudden violence of the attack, quickly began to withdraw, but their retreat was cut short as a mechanical thumping sound emanated from behind Obi-Wan. Looking over his shoulder, the Padawan saw the man on the grenade launcher, firing into the retreating soldiers. Within seconds, a series of explosions bracketed the fleeing soldiers, and more of them went down under the withering barrage of grenades. Turning his attention to the fishing boat, Obi-Wan saw the remainder of the strike team rushing onto the pier, in hot pursuit of the remaining soldiers as they ran into the warehouse. At the head of the strike team, he saw Hoowis with a rifle in his hands, shouting orders to his guerillas and occasionally pausing to fire at an enemy. Several meters away, Horn was visible, rushing forward with his pistol raised as Siri followed him, her magenta lightsaber distinguishing her amidst the chaos. Obi-Wan turned to the men on the patrol boat and waved them forward. Throwing off their foul-weather coats, Obi-Wan and rest of the boarding party rushed forward to join the main force. Rushing to Hoowis' side as Horn and Siri pursued the fleeing soldiers, Strush waved Obi-Wan and the boarders into line with the rest of Hoowis' squad as the guerilla leader turned to speak to the boarding party.

"Nice job with that boat, gentlemen. And Jedi, keep performing like that and I might actually start to trust you!"

"I'll take that as a compliment, Mr. Hoowis."

Obi-Wan and the boarders rushed forward to join Horn's squad, attempting to keep their heads despite the swirling pandemonium. The guerillas came to a door leading into the warehouse, the soldiers on the other side attempting to pull it closed while a guerilla struggled to hold it open and Siri attempted to aid the man with the Force. Obi-Wan noticed Hoowis pull a thermal detonator from his belt as the tug-of-war continued and Siri looked increasingly strained as she continued to hold the door open with the Force. Thinking quickly, Obi-Wan rushed to her side and began pulling at the door with the Force as Hoowis waved another man into position by the barely open door. The man, wielding a blaster carbine, sprinted to the crack and thrust the muzzle of his weapon into the door, pulling the trigger and holding it down for several seconds. As the man fired through the opening, Obi-Wan felt the force exerted against him suddenly drop off. Hoowis primed the thermal detonator and turned to the man holding the door handle.

"Two, three, four, five…"

Hoowis tossed the detonator in and threw his body against the door, holding it shut. An instant later, Obi-Wan heard and felt a muffled explosion from inside the door. Hoowis wasted no time in rousing his men.

"Get in there! Go! Go! Go! Go! GO!"

With a mighty heave and a grunt of exertion, Hoowis threw the door open, and the strike team poured in through the opening. Examining his surroundings, Obi-Wan saw the air filled with dust from the explosion and the ground littered with dead KDF soldiers, blood streaming from their eyes, ears and noses and various limbs torn off by the thermal detonator's blast.

_Poor devils._

Feeling a pang of danger from the Force, the Padawan looked up to see a soldier aiming his rifle at him. He instinctively raised his lightsaber as the man fired, and the bolt rebounded back into the man's head. The man flopped onto the concrete as Obi-Wan advanced, taking in the continuing battle. Blaster fire came hard from all sides as the strike team slugged it out with the defenders of the warehouse, methodically advancing and killing any they saw as the hapless KDF soldiers returned fire only to invariably die as the guerillas poured fire into their positions. Incredibly, Obi-Wan had not seen a single member of the strike team go down despite the sizeable force arrayed against them.

_That's the value of getting the drop on your opponent._

Slowly, the firefight died down as more and more of the defenders fell. Finally, Obi-Wan suddenly noticed that the room had gone silent, the ozone scent of blaster fire overwhelming his nostrils and the only sounds left being the moans of dying men. Looking over the group, he could see Siri, looking as bewildered by the sudden calm as he was. The Padawans slowly, cautiously, deactivated their lightsabers.

_Is this it? Did we really take the warehouse?_

A pang of danger from the Force answered Obi-Wan's question.

"GET DOWN!"

The report of a heavy repeating blaster echoed through the warehouse, large red bolts arcing towards the strike team. Obi-Wan and the others ducked behind a stack of crates as the enemy gunner continued to fire. Glancing up towards the source of the fire, Obi-Wan could see a man on a walkway with a heavy repeating blaster pointed towards the strike team, several of his fellows crouched beside him. Another pang of danger sent Obi-Wan back to the ground as a burst cut through the air where his head would have been.

_They have the high ground! We're pinned down!_

"Mr. Hoowis! Get your men out of here!"

"Retreat? What the hell are you thinking?"

"I'll cover you. If you and your men stay here, you'll die! I'll cover you! Now go!"

Hoowis paused for a moment, his barely-concealed fury at the situation on his features.

"Fine. Men, prepare to withdraw! Kenobi, cover us!"

Hoowis and his men began to withdraw, firing all the way as Obi-Wan drew the pistol that had been supplied for him aboard the _Wolverine._

_Desperate times, desperate measures._

Quickly lining up on the enemy position, Obi-Wan fired several shots, hitting one of the riflemen next to the gunner. The man fell to the floor, screaming in agony as another rifleman dragged him off. Another burst sent Obi-Wan back behind cover before he could fire further. Turning to check on the rest of the party, he saw Siri across from him, blind firing her own pistol around the edge of the crates she had taken cover behind.

"Siri! What are you doing! Get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you here, Kenobi!"

"Siri, get out of here! You'll die if you…"

"Damn it, Kenobi, I'm not gonna die! And neither are you!"

_I should have known she'd argue with me at a time like this._

Next to Siri, a guerilla with a heavy repeating blaster began firing at the gunner as he moved towards the exit. The gunner ducked behind cover as blaster bolts rained down around him.

_It's now or never._

Obi-Wan rose up from cover, taking aim at the enemy position as he let the Force steady his hand.

_You get one shot. Miss that, and you're dead._

As the Force flowed through him, he saw the gunner rise up and raise his weapon as the fire directed at him began to slacken. Seeing the Padawan expose himself, the gunner began to swing the heavy repeating blaster towards Obi-Wan. An inexplicable wave of calm went over the Padawan as he squeezed the trigger of his pistol, the break clean and crisp. The bolt flew straight and true, striking the gunner in the upper chest. He fell to the ground as his fellows shouted in horror at the sight of their fallen comrade. They had no time to react before Obi-Wan shot another of them. As the man fell, his comrades swung their rifles towards Obi-Wan, only to fall themselves as blaster bolts struck them out of nowhere. Turning to the source of the bolts, Obi-Wan saw Siri peeking out from around the crates, her pistol trained on the enemy position that now lay unoccupied.

_I owe her one yet again._

The Padawans ran to each others' side and dashed towards the exit, only to be met with blaster fire whizzing past the door. A bolt struck one of the guerillas, and he fell onto the concrete, moaning in pain. Siri ran to his side as two other guerillas dragged the man back inside the door, out of the stream of blaster bolts.

"Obie, I've got him. Go see what's going on up there."

Siri knelt by the wounded man and began speaking to him calmly as she used the Force to treat his wound. Obi-Wan cautiously advanced to the exit, where Horn and the others stood with their backs pressed against the wall as blaster bolts passed mere centimeters from their faces.

"What's going on here?"

"Heavy repeating blaster, down that way. He has us in enfilade."

Peeking around the corner, Obi-Wan saw yet another man with a heavy repeating blaster, set up on a series of crates along the waterfront and firing madly at the guerillas.

_I might have an idea._

"I'll be right back."

Obi-Wan ran back to the wounded man in the hallway, quickly grabbing a thermal detonator from his belt. Siri and the two guerillas shot Obi-Wan a disapproving glance as he ran back to Horn.

"Horn! Can your men cover me?"

Obi-Wan held up the thermal detonator to make his point. A grin of recognition came over Horn's lips as he responded.

"With pleasure, Jedi."

Horn turned to his men.

"COVERING FIRE!"

The guerillas stepped as far out as they dared and began firing wildly at the man on the heavy repeating blaster. Obi-Wan primed the thermal detonator and advanced forward. After several meters' advance, the Padawan finally hurled the detonator towards the gunner and went prone, pressing himself against the concrete and praying the next few seconds wouldn't be his last. Turning his head to view the enemy position, he saw an explosion, and then the silhouette of a man thrown into the water. The heavy repeating blaster fell silent.

_I got him._

"The gunner's dead! Move up!"

Horn and the others sprung from their positions and began circling around the building, attempting to enter from another side while scanning for any remaining enemies. Obi-Wan rose from the concrete and followed them, his lightsaber ignited. The group continued along the side of the warehouse, a large, open space with several outbuildings and what looked like a motor pool to their left. Then, a realization dawned on Obi-Wan.

_A motor pool…wait, if the survivors still have vehicles, they can escape!_

As he realized this, a set of bright lights burst forth from the motor pool and began moving towards the group at breakneck speed. Obi-Wan shouted to the others.

"LEFT SIDE! LOOK OUT!"

The group turned to see a large transport landspeeder, racing out of the motor pool towards them. They turned their blasters towards the vehicle, firing madly at the driver. Looking into the cabin, Obi-Wan saw the man yank the wheel to the left and duck behind the windshield as blaster bolts tore into it, missing him by centimeters. The speeder swerved to the left as the guerillas continued to pour fire into it, a number of soldiers in the transport compartment leaning out the opening in the back and returning their fire. Obi-Wan stepped to the fore and began deflecting bolts away from the guerillas as the speeder raced off through the facility's gate and into the darkness.

_Damn it, he got away!_

Horn's frustrated voice punctuated Obi-Wan's thoughts.

"Cease fire, men. Let him go; there's nothing else we can do. In any case, our objective is to destroy the facility, not to kill all its defenders. At least we have someone to tell the tale and spread the fear. Come on, let's get inside the warehouse and start planting the charges. We'll put a few on the motor pool afterwards for good measure."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but smirk at Horn's final sentence.

* * *

Horn finished taking his head count as he counted the wounded man, now on a stretcher with Siri still at his side.

"That's everyone, sir. Only one casualty, and from what the Jedi says, it looks like he'll survive. And I counted over 20 enemy dead. The others likely fled in the confusion of the attack."

"Very well, Horn. Are the charges set?"

"Yes, Mr. Hoowis: in the warehouse and the motor pool. Timers are going as we speak."

"Then let's make ourselves scarce. To the boat!"

The Padawans and the guerillas, lined up on the pier for the head count, now rushed aboard the fishing boat. Looking up at the helm, Obi-Wan saw Blu'up and his son and grandson looking down at the strike team as they prepared to leave. Turning to look at the warehouse for the last time, Obi-Wan saw Horn in the process of boarding, Hoowis right behind him. As Horn stepped aboard, Hoowis paused for a moment, looking over the boat and then looking back at the warehouse. Then, he stepped aboard, gesturing for Blu'up to get the boat moving. The old fisherman nodded and worked the throttle, and the fishing boat slowly pulled away from the docks. Obi-Wan turned to Horn.

"How long before those timers finish?"

"Just a few minutes, Jedi. We should be at a safe distance when they go. It'll be an impressive fireworks display, nonetheless."

Horn turned to see to his wounded man as Obi-Wan sat down on the deck, taking in the cool night air blowing off the water and thanking the Force that he was still alive.

_I've been in some rough scraps, but never anything of that magnitude. And I'll do it a few more times before I can find that tomb and leave this rock._

"Hey, you!"

A tiny voice to his right caught Obi-Wan's attention. Turning to see its source, he saw Blu'up's grandson, walking to his side.

"Hello, there."

"I saw your laser sword. You're a Jedi, aren't you?"

_No point in lying to him._

"Yes, I am. And so is my friend back there."

The boy's eyes went wide with childlike amazement.

"Wow…I've never seen a Jedi before!"

"That doesn't surprise me. No Jedi has set foot on this planet in almost 4000 years, at least."

"How did you get here?"

"My friend and I were sent here to find something, but our starfighters were shot down, and we were taken in by your grandfather's friends."

"By Mr. Sharf?"

"Yes. We're working for him now, in exchange for his helping us find what we came here for."

"What did you come here for?"

"We're looking for an ancient tomb, the _Pa'an ba Odum._ Perhaps you've heard of it?"

At the mention of the tomb, the boy's wide-eyed curiosity turned to fear.

_He's heard the legends too, hasn't he?_

"The Cave of the Tyrant? You want that?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't we?"

"Daddy and Pa say it's evil, that it wasn't supposed to be found. Why do you want to find it?"

"There are very, very powerful artifacts inside it. My friend and I want to find those artifacts and take them somewhere safe, where bad people won't be able to find them."

"Powerful? Like magical? Like your Jedi powers?"

"Yes, but…warped. Evil, like your father says. The Jedi use their powers to help and protect others, but these artifacts are designed with the power to hurt and control others."

"But Daddy says the Jedi are corrupt. That they use their powers to support a corrupt government. That they steal kids."

Obi-Wan could only sit in silence, processing what the boy had just said.

_I want to laugh at him, or give him some Jedi boilerplate, but I can't. Whatever I say my faith in the Order is, I can't. And I'm ashamed that I can't._

"Well, Jedi aren't perfect. Sometimes, even we make mistakes. Even we can be led astray from time to time."

The boy's expression didn't change.

"You're not going to steal me, are you?"

"No, no, of course not."

Obi-Wan gave the boy a reassuring smile as he said this, and a pat on the back. The boy's eyes lit up once again.

"You never told me your name, Mister…"

"Obi-Wan. And that over there is Ms. Siri."

"Nice to meet you, Mister Obi-Wan."

Sensing Siri's Force presence approaching, Obi-Wan turned to see her walking towards the two of them. Her facial expression told Obi-Wan that she just wanted a moment alone with him.

"I need to talk to Ms. Siri now. Okay?"

"Okay, Mr. Obi-Wan."

The boy turned to greet Siri as she approached.

"Nice to meet you as well, Ms. Siri."

Much to Obi-Wan's surprise, Siri bent down to return the boy's greeting, her voice and facial expression taking on an uncharacteristically maternal tone.

"Nice to meet you too."

She ushered the boy away towards the stern and then sat down next to Obi-Wan, noticeably making an effort not to lean up against Obi-Wan or touch him in any way.

"I never took you for the maternal type, Siri."

"Well, you just don't know me that well, then."

"You don't say?"

"You'd be amazed at what I can do, you blind old gundark."

Trying to break the growing sexual tension, Obi-Wan went back to business.

"The wounded man. How is he?"

"He'll live. He'll probably spend the next month on painkillers, but he'll recover."

"That's good to hear. Where is he now?"

"He's on the stern. Horn's keeping an eye on him. I heard Hoowis on the squawk with the shuttle crew, telling them to get that repulsor sled out. We'll transfer him to the sled once we get back to the shuttle."

Before the two could say anything else, Horn shouted to the occupants of the boat.

"The timers should go any minute now. If you want to watch our handiwork, now's the time!"

Obi-Wan and Siri turned to look at the warehouse, now once again a speck of light in the distance. After several seconds, a brilliant flash of light enveloped the speck, and soon a massive fireball consumed it. The Padawans squinted at the sudden flash, and within several seconds the deep, resonant _boom_ of the warehouse exploding reached their eardrums, along with the pressure wave of the explosion. Within seconds, a cheer went up from the guerillas. Even the boy exulted at the fiery spectacle as the fireball climbed into the night sky.

_He's just a boy. To him, this is all one big adventure: that's childlike innocence for you. But us…we just killed 20 men in that place. I can't exult at that. And neither can Siri._

Apparently sensing Obi-Wan's thoughts, Siri put her hand in Obi-Wan's as Obi-Wan sensed similar feelings in her. He reached out to her through their Force bond.

_It has begun, Siri: a great and terrible undertaking. May it end soon._

_May it end soon, as well._


	10. Aftermath of a Victory

**Chapter 9**

**Aftermath of a Victory**

The shuttle touched down in the _Wolverine'_ s hangar with a light bounce, and the pilot's voice over the intercom punctuated the sensation.

"We're home, ladies and gentlemen. Clear the ramp!"

Several seconds later, the ramp lowered to the hangar floor, and Obi-Wan began to unfasten his seat harness. Siri and the rest of the strike team followed suit, with the lone casualty strapped into the repulsor sled in the middle as the medical droid monitored his condition. With a series of mechanical chirps, the droid backed away from the sled as Horn and three other guerillas left their seats and walked to its side. Obi-Wan and the others stood up and waited in the cabin as Horn and his men escorted the repulsor sled down the ramp.

_Casualties come first. We have all the time in the world to get off afterwards._

Watching from the top of the ramp, Hoowis signaled the rest of the strike team to exit the shuttle. Obi-Wan, Siri, and the others followed Hoowis into the hangar, where the guerilla leader gestured for the group to gather around him.

"We're heading to the ready room for a formal debrief. Follow me there, and then wait while I check on our casualty. Once I return, we'll discuss the mission."

* * *

Hoowis and Horn entered the ready room and walked to its center, looking around at the dozen-or-so beings that had come back from the mission. After a long pause, Hoowis gestured for Horn to sit down and began the debriefing.

"I spoke to our doctors about our casualty. He's doing well, and is expected to make a full recovery. They say he'll be ready to return to his duties in roughly one month."

The room let out a great sigh of relief at the news.

"As for the mission, it went well. The warehouse was destroyed, and I counted roughly 20 enemies KIA, out of a force of about 40. The remainder must have escaped during the confusion, a fact borne out by Mr. Horn's account of a fleeing transport landspeeder. Others could have gone out on foot. It's regrettable that some of our enemies managed to flee, but our mission was to destroy the facility, and that we _did_ accomplish."

Hoowis paused before continuing.

"All of you performed well, including our new arrivals."

Now, Hoowis turned to Obi-Wan and Siri, sitting together on the same bench they had during the pre-mission briefing.

"Jedi. You acquitted yourselves well. Kenobi, you did splendidly during the seizure of the patrol boat and the subsequent battle. And Tachi, your actions helped keep one of our men alive. Keep performing like that, and both of you will become a valuable part of this organization."

Obi-Wan was unable to speak at the praise from this seemingly gruff, cold man, and looking across from him he could see Siri's eyes and mouth were wide open, her cheeks ever so slightly red.

_And I probably don't look much better._

"What are you doing, gawping like that? Don't you Jedi know how to take compliments?"

"My apologies, Mr. Hoowis. We appreciate your appraisal of our performance. We were only doing our duty, and whatever you choose to see in our actions is your choice to make."

"Well, you're welcome, Kenobi."

The Jedi sat in astonished silence as Hoowis turned to address the room.

"Any questions?"

Only Siri responded.

"My starfighter, Mr. Hoowis. Your mechanics…"

"Are working on it, Tachi. I can't promise anything right now: just be glad you survived."

"Thank you, sir."

Hoowis turned back to the rest of the group.

"Are there any other questions or concerns?"

This time, no one spoke up.

"Then this debriefing is over. You are all dismissed. Jedi, speak to Mr. Horn."

As the rest of the strike team left the room, Horn walked over to Obi-Wan and Siri as the two Padawans rose to speak to him.

"Jedi. Follow me."

Horn escorted the Padawans out into the hallway, where a female guard met them. Horn stepped forward to speak to her.

"Show Miss Tachi to her quarters, with all due haste."

"Aye, sir."

The guard turned to Siri.

"Jedi, follow me."

Siri followed the guard as Horn turned to Obi-Wan.

"With me, Kenobi. We're heading to _your_ quarters."

As the two men started down the hallway, Horn spoke to Obi-Wan.

"We found a stateroom for you, Kenobi. Don't worry; you'll have the place all to yourself. Your friend has the same accommodations."

"That was rather nice of you."

"It's not kindness, Jedi. The others in the crew won't feel safe sleeping around a pair of wizards."

Obi-Wan could only walk in silence after that, winding through the corridors until Horn stopped at a small door. He pressed a switch, and the door opened to reveal a small cabin. A single cot lay in a cutout in the wall on the left, with a small fresher to the right and a desk in the right-hand corner of the room, next to a large window looking out over deep space. Looking out the window, Obi-Wan saw asteroids swirling in the foreground, with the vista of stars in the background that never ceased to amaze him. For a moment, his mind went back to that night with Siri a year earlier, to the two lying in each other's arms under the blanket of stars aboard the shuttle leaving Vodran. Horn's voice snapped Obi-Wan out of his erotic reminiscing.

"It's basic, Jedi, but it is _your_ room. That's more than many of us get here."

"I can figure out where everything is, Horn. Thank you."

"Just let me know if you need anything, Kenobi."

Horn turned to leave, but just as he cleared the door he turned to speak one last time.

"Meet me in the hangar tomorrow morning, with Siri. I'll show the two of you around the ship."

"Sounds fair enough, Horn. Good night."

"Likewise, Jedi."

Horn shut the door as Obi-Wan stepped towards the fresher, stripping out of his clothes. Entering the small room, he saw an identical outfit and two pairs of sleep pants laid out on the towel rack just outside the shower.

_They were nice enough to give me a change of clothes, at least._

Obi-Wan finished undressing and fired up the shower, stepping in and standing under the running water for several minutes as he went over the day's events in his mind. Then, as his mind began to slow down, he washed himself and exited the shower. Drying himself with a towel that felt more like sandpaper than cloth, he changed into sleep pants and an undershirt, and then laid down on his cot, shutting the room's lights off with the Force. He pulled the thick wool covers up and sunk his head into the pillow, his mind racing with plans of what to do next even as his body began to fall asleep.

_Siri and I will stay with these guerillas for a while and keep searching for the tomb, until we can contact the Jedi Council and let them know we're alive. Then, all we have to do is wait for more Jedi to arrive, and we can finally do what we came here to do. Simple, right?_

* * *

"Sir!"

The messenger dropped to the ground, panting for breath after he had sprinted into the throne room. Upon the throne, his master Husan sat with an annoyed expression on his features. Husan was a portly man in his mid 50s, with greying black hair and a large beard, dressed in an ostentatious uniform and surrounded by servants catering to his every whim. The messenger was just a simple soldier stationed at Husan's palace, now on his knees praying his master wouldn't take his head once he heard the bad news.

"What is it?"

"Sir, our supply depot at Lake Zojadab has been destroyed."

"What?"

"It was totally destroyed, sir."

Husan paused for a moment, and the messenger shook in terror, fearing that at any moment his master would fly into a rage and beat him to a stain on the floor. After several agonizing seconds, Husan spoke, calmly but tersely.

"Were there any survivors?"

"Roughly twenty, sir. We believe, based on their reports, that this was the work of the FKA."

"I had figured that out already. Get out of my sight, before I do something you won't like."

"Yes…yes, sir!"

The man nervously stood up and quickly left the room as Husan reached for his commlink.

"Get Torsun in here. Now."

His response came several minutes later, as a man wearing a distinctive, modified suit of Mandalorian armor entered the room. The man coolly stood before his master and bowed slightly.

"Sir."

"Torsun, get your men together. We've got a rat infestation in Zojadab Province."

"The supply depot, sir. I heard about it. In all likelihood…"

"Yes, Torsun, I know it was probably Hoowis and his bandits, with the aid of their supporters in that region. That damned province has been a hotbed of traitors and insurrectionists for quite some time. I want you to lead a punitive raid in the area around Lake Zojadab. Kill everyone and burn everything you encounter. Just get rid of those pests, as violently as you can. That will send a message to any others that feel like destroying my bases."

The armored man paused, coldly pondering how to carry out his order, before delivering his reply.

"Yes, sir."

With a bow, the armored man turned and left the throne room, leaving Husan to ponder his next moves.

_Hoowis. You've been a thorn in my side for so many years. I would have thought you learned your lesson after what happened to your wife, but you just keep coming. How long will it be before you and those savages out in the countryside learn that resistance is futile?_

* * *

Obi-Wan downed another cup of coffee in the ship's wardroom, Siri following suit across from him. Upon waking, they had met with Horn in the hangar, where he gave them a tour of the ship. For some reason, Hoowis had authorized the two of them to eat and drink in the wardroom, even though the two of them were not officers nor had, at least for the moment, any command authority. Upon asking Horn why, Obi-Wan had only received a short comment about "hospitality."

_Well, we'll take "hospitality" wherever we can find it. As Jedi, that's notoriously hard to come by in and of itself, let alone under these circumstances._

Once the tour ended, their first stop had been the wardroom, where they now sat together, drinking coffee and pondering what was to become of them in this strange place.

_At least we have the mission to give us some sort of anchor in this dangerous new game. We know what we came here for; I don't know if I can say the same for the rest of our allies._

"So, Kenobi, we know where to eat and sleep. What now? You're the brains of this operation, remember?"

_And she has to remind me again, as if the reminder in the dressing room wasn't enough. Hell, I think she'll remind me a few more times before we find that tomb and get back to Coruscant._

"We keep working with these guerillas, keep earning their trust. In the meantime, we contact the Jedi Council and let them know we survived."

Siri didn't seem convinced despite Obi-Wan's attempts to reassure her that he had everything well in hand.

"Obie, I think it's clear that Hoowis doesn't trust the Jedi, and we both know that the Council will send someone to aid us once they hear from us. How do you think Hoowis will react when he hears we've brought the Jedi Order as a whole into _his_ war? Especially after we've spent a long time fighting alongside him and have earned his trust? You think he'll just step aside and let it happen?"

"Siri…"

"Face it, Kenobi. If we contact the Council and he finds out, we'll both get shot out of an airlock."

"What would you have me do, then?"

"See, there you go again!"

"What do you mean?"

"Me'? You already think you have this, don't you?"

"I didn't mean to imply you weren't important…"

"That's not what I mean, Kenobi!"

Siri's outburst caught the attention of the entire wardroom, who now had their eyes on the two Padawans. Realizing this, Siri turned back to Obi-Wan, her voice quieter and her cheeks slightly red.

"Obie, I've known you since we were kids. And I've known your Master for over ten years. You've always been such a…such a foil to him."

"Meaning?"

"You're such a planner. You're so rule-bound, so geared towards things going as planned. Sometimes, I think you think you're untouchable. That your well-laid plans are so well-laid that nothing can stop them. And you'd rather stick to the plan set out beforehand than go by the seat of your pants to accomplish something, even if the plan doesn't work anymore. You're so unlike Qui-Gon in that regard: the two of you could have escaped from a hideout of heavily armed gangsters, and he'd be hailing the nearest cab or hotwiring the nearest speeder while you were still going over the pre-mission extraction plan."

Obi-Wan wanted to protest, to tell her she was wrong, but he knew she wasn't.

_And I care about her too much to lie to her…no, I can't dwell on that._

"What were you thinking, then?"

"We keep working with Hoowis, and eventually we remind him to uphold his end of the bargain. We find the tomb, get what we need, and _then_ we contact the Council."

"Siri, that's too risky. We don't know if Hoowis will keep his word, and besides, this isn't our war. We're Jedi; we're supposed to prevent wars, not fight them. We're not here to get involved anyway: this is a marriage of convenience, plain and simple."

"And what will you do when you settle in here, Kenobi?"

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me. We spend enough time here, we'll become invested in what Hoowis and his guerillas are fighting for, whether we want to or not. Stay here long enough, and you won't think this is a 'marriage of convenience' anymore."

"Siri…"

"No. Don't give me some rhetoric about 'attachment', Obi-Wan. You know and I both know that we can only sit on the fence and play 'neutral' for so long."

Before Obi-Wan could respond, Horn came out of nowhere and addressed the two Padawans.

"Jedi. With me."

"What's going on?"

"Mr. Hoowis requires your presence for a planetside visit."

"A 'visit?"

"A meeting with some of our closest allies on the planet. Mr. Hoowis wants you there to meet them, and to help protect us in case anything happens. Our visit is in roughly the same area as the warehouse we destroyed last night, and we're on the lookout for reprisals."

"We'll get our things and meet you in the hangar."

* * *

Obi-Wan woke from yet another nap aboard the shuttle to the pilot's voice over the intercom.

"Uh…Mr. Hoowis, please report to the cockpit. You need to see this."

_That doesn't sound good. What's going on down there?_

Hoowis immediately undid his harness and rushed towards the cockpit, knocking on the doors and then entering as they slid open and closed behind him before Obi-Wan could get a good look at the windscreen. Looking to Siri, her expression confirmed she was as bewildered, and concerned, as he was.

_What's going on, Obie?_

_I don't know. I know as little as you do. Just be ready for anything._

The rest of the cabin remained totally silent, an air of dread radiating from Horn and the other sixteen guerillas packed into the small compartment. Obi-Wan couldn't help but be infected by the ominous mood in the room. After several agonizing minutes, Hoowis exited the cockpit, his leathery face white as snow and his eyes filled with fear.

"We're putting the ship down immediately. I want everyone out as soon as we touch down."

Before Obi-Wan could ask what the problem was, Horn beat him to it.

"What's going on, sir?"

"You'll know when you disembark."

As if on cue, the shuttle landed roughly, nearly throwing Hoowis to the floor. Not a second later, the ramp lowered, and Hoowis turned to the others.

"Go! Get out! Go!"

Obi-Wan threw off his harness and leapt onto the ramp, the other occupants of the cabin rushing down behind him. Stepping onto the Kokeemi soil once again, he saw that it was late afternoon, the sun on the verge of setting. At the edge of his vision, he could see what looked like the lake he had been on only a day earlier, now visible in the dark yellow of the late afternoon sun. A small, jagged speck on the other side confirmed his suspicions.

_That's the warehouse we destroyed, or rather, what's left of it._

However, at the edge of his vision, something far more sinister caught his eye. Looking at movement to his left, he saw a small house; smoke billowing from its roof as flames licked its windows.

_Blu'up! That must be his house! But why is it on fire?_

Then, Obi-Wan's heart sank as he remembered Horn's warning about "reprisals" back in the wardroom.

_Oh no…they must have…_

As he stared in horror at the burning house in the distance, Hoowis' booming voice spurred Obi-Wan to action.

"EVERYONE! TO THAT HOUSE, DOUBLE TIME!"


	11. Sunset

**Chapter 10**

**Sunset**

As he neared the burning home, Obi-Wan slowed from his run, panting for breath as the smell of smoke drifted into his nostrils. He backed towards the water, attempting in vain to breathe clear air as he began violently hacking against the sting of smoke in his throat. Looking around, he saw the rest of the party catch up, Siri running to his side. The pier where Blu'up's boat was previously moored was now nothing but splinters, the boat nowhere to be seen.

"Obie!"

"I'm fine, Siri…ack!"

Obi-Wan began violently hacking again, waving Siri away and shouting to her between coughs.

"Go…Siri…go! Check…check on…Blu'up!"

She simply stood there, her face contorting painfully. Obi-Wan knew what this meant.

_If their house is burning up like this, Blu'up and his family are dead already. If we're lucky, we might find their remains. Siri knows that, and so do I._

After a moment's hesitation, Siri ran off towards the side of the house. Obi-Wan continued to cough violently, but his lungs slowly adjusted to the smoke, regaining their strength after the sprint from the landing site. As he struggled to his feet, Obi-Wan heard a high-pitched scream above the crackling of the flames in the background. He knew its source immediately.

_Siri!_

His lungs and legs suddenly regained their strength as he sprinted around the house. He rounded the corner to see Siri standing frozen in horror, her hand clamped over her mouth and a gruesome sight before her. In front of the two Padawans stood three wooden stakes driven into the ground, each adorned with the head of Blu'up, his son, and his grandson. Partially dried blood caked their necks, and their mouths and eyes were open, their faces contorted into devilish grimaces of terror. Obi-Wan stood transfixed by the macabre display as he began to shake in fear.

_That's…that's horrific…I've seen some dark things in my time, but this…this is a new level of cruelty. Beheading a ten-year-old boy and putting his head on display…what kind of ghoul does that?_

Suddenly thinking of Siri, Obi-Wan turned to see her still standing there, hand over her mouth and her eyes looking ready to burst forth with tears. He spoke to her, hoping to take her focus off the atrocity before them.

"Siri."

She didn't respond. Obi-Wan could sense her composure collapsing, and he knew then that spending one more second here would send her into hysterics. He kept his voice calm, but with an air of authority.

"Siri. Look at me."

_At least I can get her to take her eyes off that horror before us. And I can do the same._

She slowly turned her gaze towards Obi-Wan, her eyes wide and scared. Obi-Wan met her gaze with his, his voice still calm even as his body shook violently.

"Siri, go around the house and see if you can find any clues as to who did this. Go now, and don't come back to this area. Go to the remnants of the pier, and wait for me. I'll come get you when I can. Do you understand me?"

She nodded, her eyes still wide in terror.

"Go. Go now."

Without a word, she turned and went around the house as Hoowis and Horn came into view, laying eyes on what remained of Blu'up and his family. Horn recoiled in shock, and Hoowis' mouth hung open, his face now whiter than ever. Then, Hoowis finally lost his composure, storming towards the impaled heads and roaring obscenities in Kokeemi.

 _I learned a few choice words in_ Mando'a _during my…visit there three years ago. That's "cultural exchange" for you._

Hoowis stopped short of the heads, his tirade ending abruptly. Without looking at the rest of the group, he spoke at them with barely contained rage in his voice.

"Start digging."

"Sir?"

"You heard me, Horn! Start digging!"

"Sir, the Kestises…"

"DAMN IT, HORN! WE'RE GIVING THESE POOR BUGGERS A PROPER BURIAL! START DIGGING, DAMN YOU!"

"Aye aye…aye aye, sir."

Chastened by his commander's sudden outburst, Horn gestured for the others to unsheathe their entrenching tools. He took one man's tool and tossed it to Obi-Wan, who snatched it from the air with the Force.

_It's the least we can do for them._

* * *

"There. That should do it."

Horn threw the final load of soil over the shallow hole where the last of the three heads had been buried. By now, the sun had begun to set, the somber makeshift gravesite now bathed in bright orange light and the gentle lapping of the lake giving a deceptively peaceful ambience to the scene. Obi-Wan and the others stood to the side, having buried the other heads, while Siri stood at the periphery of the group, having regained some of her composure but still clearly shaken by the ghastly discovery earlier. Looking in her direction, Obi-Wan reached out to her through their Force bond.

_Siri? Are you all right?_

_No, of course I'm not. I'm able to stand up and walk again, if that's what you mean. But I'm not "all right." No one can be after a sight like that._

Hoowis stepped to the fore and addressed the group, trying to sound as matter-of-fact as he could despite the sad, slight quiver in his voice.

"Well, we're done here. Does anyone want to say a few words before we leave?"

Something in Obi-Wan made him step forward.

"I will."

Hoowis delivered his reply with more sincerity than he had ever spoke to Obi-Wan with up to that point, his usual high-handedness and impatience gone.

"Go ahead then, Jedi."

Obi-Wan cleared his throat and began his brief eulogy, trying to keep his voice as flat and emotionless as possible.

"We are gathered here today to say goodbye to a dear friend and his family, murdered in cold blood on this very ground. They dedicated years of their lives to a great and worthy cause, and were a source of strength and fellowship even in the worst of times."

It took everything Obi-Wan had been taught as a Jedi not to break down as his brief encounters with Blu'up and his family as well as the sight of their severed heads played through his mind. Even though the rest of the group, including Siri, had bowed their heads in respect, he knew they were listening intently to every word that left his mouth.

"They were brutally taken from us far too soon, but let us not simply mourn their deaths. Let us mourn, yes, but let us also remember the good times. Let us remember the warmth and light they brought to our lives, even as we mourn their deaths. And, as they depart this war-torn planet, let them find eternal peace in the arms of the Force."

A single tear ran down Obi-Wan's cheek as he finished the eulogy. The rest of the group raised their heads, clearly moved by this eulogy for their friends delivered by this strange man they barely knew: even Hoowis seemed touched by it. The burly blond man looked up at Obi-Wan, a tear in his eye, and then quickly regained his composure and turned to the rest of the group.

"Well, that's it. Let's make ourselves scarce."

"Wait! Mr. Hoowis!"

Siri stepped forward, a small object in her hand. Hoowis stepped towards her, confused.

"What is it?"

"I found this, near the house. This symbol…does it mean anything to you?"

Obi-Wan stepped in closer as Hoowis peered over Siri's shoulder, examining the object in her hands. As he reached Siri, Obi-Wan also looked over at the object. The object in Siri's hands was a small metal disc, inscribed with a red visage of a stylized demonic face, its mouth open in a terrifying grin with razor-sharp teeth and large, prominent fangs. Looking over at Hoowis, Obi-Wan saw a look of realization wash over the guerilla leader's face.

"The Vampires."

Siri turned to Hoowis, a look of confusion on her features.

"Who?"

"This disc. It's the calling card of the Vampires."

"Vampires?"

"Husan's secret police. They're a bunch of hired torturers and murderers who rule Kokeem by fear. Those of us in the FKA have been unwilling witnesses to their handiwork in the past. They're the ones that did all this."

Hoowis gestured around at the ruined homestead and the graves as Horn stepped forward, curious as to what Siri had found that had gotten Hoowis so interested.

"What is it, sir?"

"It's the Vampires, Horn. They did this."

"The Vampires?"

"What? You're surprised?"

"Sir, if the Vampires are in the area, Kestis might…"

Hoowis's eyes widened as Obi-Wan stepped in, confused.

"Wait, wait, wait. 'Kestis'? You mentioned him before. Who is this 'Kestis?"

"Lot and Lina Kestis, Obi-Wan. Childhood friends of mine that have become some of the FKA's largest supporters. They live right near here, no more than twenty minutes' flight by shuttle. And if the Vampires are here, chances are that Blu'up and his family were just the beginning of their rampage."

Horn added to his commander's revelation.

"They were the ones I told you and Siri about earlier, Obi-Wan. The allies we were supposed to meet."

"Then we should go warn them, then!"

"I concur. Mr. Hoowis?"

Hoowis didn't hesitate.

"Everyone, back to the shuttle!"

* * *

"Shuttle's coming down. Get ready to disembark: I'm seeing smoke to our front."

The shuttle touched down, the ramp dropped, and the occupants of the crew compartment raced out onto the dirt, seeing a column of smoke rising into the sky before them.

"Sir…we're too late…"

"No, we're not, Horn. Everyone! Forward!"

The group began running towards the smoke, Obi-Wan and Siri struggling to keep up. By now, the sun had almost set, the Kokeemi countryside colored in the deep purple of dusk. Obi-Wan kept his focus on the path before him, but a part of him dreaded what he would see at the other end of that smoke plume.

_I just hope we can save someone, if not everyone. I never want to see anything like what I saw at that homestead ever again._

Several minutes of running led the party to a small hill, the smoke issuing from behind its crest. As Obi-Wan and Siri reached the hill's summit, they saw the source of the smoke. A small village stood before them, with a large manor house standing over it. Even from the distance they stood at, the Padawans could see the manor's windows were smashed in and its front door broken down. The various outlying buildings were in various stages of burning down, and the light of the fires silhouetted several men clad in KDF combat fatigues, standing in front of the manor with torches in their hands. Hoowis called the group to action.

"That's Lot's place! The bastards are firing it! Let's get 'em!"

The group surged forward with a roar as the Padawans followed, activating their lightsabers. The men with the torches turned to face the party, but a hail of blaster fire from the guerillas sent them running for cover. One man was too slow, and he went down under the hail of bolts as his fellows took cover and began returning fire with blaster rifles. Obi-Wan singled out one of them and rushed towards his opponent, deflecting the man's fire. He closed the distance and cut the man's rifle in two. The man drew a small vibroblade and drove it upwards towards Obi-Wan's neck, but the Padawan sidestepped the blow and, angling his lightsaber behind him, thrust it into the man's back. Obi-Wan withdrew his lightsaber and turned to see Siri cut down another enemy as his own opponent fell to the dirt.

_I think that's all of them._

"Into the house! Move!"

Hoowis waved the Padawans forward as he gestured for the rest of the group to take up firing positions around the house. Entering the house with Hoowis, Obi-Wan and Siri stepped into a large foyer, with a grand staircase before them. The foyer had clearly been opulent and well decorated, but was now ruined, its decorations smashed and its walls marred by slashes and plasma burns. As Hoowis and the Padawans stood in the foyer, they heard faint moaning from a room to their left. The three rushed towards the noise, entering a large dining room. Like the foyer, the dining room had all the appearances of a once opulent space destroyed by looters. In the corner of the room, amidst the shards of smashed dinner plates and a wall lined with plasma burns from blaster fire, lay a man slumped against the wall, groaning in pain as he turned to face his visitors. The man looked to be roughly Hoowis' age, with red hair, green eyes, and a freckled face. Though he might have been handsome before, his face was now grey, devoid of all color as blood caked his clothing.

_He's been shot. He's in bad shape, and I don't think he'll be alive much longer._

"Sharf…"

"Lot!"

Hoowis rushed to the man's side, kneeling down and placing his hand on the man's shoulder. Obi-Wan and Siri ran to Hoowis' side as the guerilla leader turned from the man to address the Padawans.

"Jedi, meet Lot Kestis. Lot, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siri Tachi."

Kestis' voice was weak as he ran his eyes over the two Padawans.

"Jedi? You brought the Jedi into this, Sharf?"

"Not officially, Lot. They were shot down by Husan over the planet. I took them in, and they've agreed to aid our cause."

Kestis didn't seem to care about the implications of what his friend had just said.

"Lina…where is she?"

"I don't know. Did she get out of the house?"

"I didn't see…the last thing I remember was a bunch of Vampires smashing in the door, and a blaster shot. I must have passed out."

"We'll search the house, then. We'll find her, Lot. You have my word."

"Please…find her…I fear she's dead already."

"We'll find her, Lot. Don't worry."

Hoowis tried to sound strong and confident for his friend, but Obi-Wan could tell that Kestis' grim prediction had already colored his thinking.

_And that prediction is probably true._

Hoowis began to rise, but Kestis pulled him down, his voice more desperate even as Obi-Wan could feel his life force fading rapidly.

"Sharf…watch over Cal for me. I want him to fight by your side one day, help serve the cause I died for."

Hoowis' voice was now desperate as well, refusing to accept the inevitable.

"You're not dying here, Lot. You'll see Cal grow into a fine man, a man worthy of your name. You'll see him take part in our struggle against tyranny. You'll live!"

"Sharf…go find Lina, and Cal. I want to see them one last time."

Hoowis paused for a moment, and then turned back to the Padawans, his face just barely hiding his anguish.

"One of you, stay here. The other…"

"I'll do it, Mr. Hoowis."

Siri stepped forward, her posture and her eyes carrying an air of imposed bravery that Obi-Wan knew all too well.

_She's certainly tough. She's not going to save his life: she can only just comfort him as he dies._

She looked over at Obi-Wan, and as their glances met her eyes said everything. Her voice through their Force bond only confirmed it.

_I have to do this, Obie._

Satisfied, Hoowis turned to Obi-Wan.

"Then it's settled. Kenobi, with me."

* * *

Without a word, Siri knelt down next to Kestis as Obi-Wan and Hoowis ran off into the depths of the manor house. She took his hand and sent him comfort through the Force, speaking as soothingly as she could while barely maintaining her composure.

_I can't save his life, but I can at least make him comfortable._

"Mr. Kestis? Can you hear me?"

"Yes…"

Seeing a dining room curtain torn from its mountings, Siri pulled it down with the Force and began rolling it into a bundle.

"I've got a pillow for you, Mr. Kestis. Can you move at all?"

"A little, yes."

Siri finished rolling up the makeshift pillow and turned to Kestis, gripping his hand tighter.

"I'm going to move you, okay?"

"Okay…"

Before Siri could move Kestis, he began violently hacking up blood. Blood spattered on Siri's clothes and hands as she flinched at the gruesome sight.

_Keep your focus, Tachi. Keep your focus._

She felt her emotional reserve draining away as she eased Kestis down onto the floor and placed the makeshift pillow under his head. He coughed up more blood, this time hitting Siri's face as her emotional reserve continued to collapse.

_Focus. Focus, damn it!_

"Thank you…thank you, miss."

Siri could only run her hand down to his forehead, his hand still gripping hers with increasing weakness.

_He doesn't have much longer._

"It's okay, Mr. Kestis. I've got you."

Siri felt her voice waver as she said this, her eyes beginning to water.

"I…I never thought I'd meet a Jedi. Part of me never…never wanted to. Strange, isn't it? That I never met one until the end."

Kestis continued to cough up blood on Siri as she tensed her body; trying to retain what emotional control she had left. Tears began welling in her eyes as she admonished herself.

_Get a hold of yourself, Tachi! You're a big girl, and big girls don't cry._

She felt her charge's life force begin to go out. His breathing became more labored, his eyes flickering.

"Thank you, Jedi. Please…watch over my son."

Siri shut her eyes tightly to hold back tears, unable to respond or even look at the dying man.

_Big girls don't cry…_

Kestis took one last, lingering breath, and his life force faded to nothingness. Still keeping her eyes shut tightly, Siri clasped Lot Kestis' lifeless hand with both of her own, attempting to regain her composure. However, for the first time in her life, she was totally overwhelmed. What came to her was not Jedi calm, but emotional deadness, the likes of which she had never felt before.

_I'm…I'm so exhausted._

* * *

Obi-Wan and Hoowis dashed up the staircase, heading for the house's master bedroom as Siri remained in the dining room, comforting the dying Lot Kestis. Following Hoowis, Obi-Wan saw the guerilla leader finally halt before a door that ominously hung from its hinges, its elegant wooden form now cracked into splinters. Hoowis turned to look into the room as Obi-Wan reached his side and lay eyes on a ghoulish scene. A naked, dark-haired woman lay on the large bed before them, blood staining the sheets around her and torn strips of her clothes scattered around the room. Her throat was slashed so deeply that her head clung to her body by only her spine and a few strips of flesh, and blood around her genital area only confirmed Obi-Wan's suspicions. The Padawan stood with his mouth open in shock as Hoowis shook his head, cursing under his breath in Kokeemi.

_This…this is the most gruesome, horrific thing I've ever seen. First the homestead, and now this…_

Hoowis walked to the woman's side as if in a trance, dropping to his knees and burying his head in the bedsheets. Obi-Wan somehow managed to step forward towards the abominable scene, keeping his eyes on Hoowis.

"Lina…I was too late…I'm sorry…"

"Was she…close?"

Obi-Wan barely croaked out the words, his voice timid and boyish as he tried to avert his eyes from the horror before him. Hoowis didn't even look at him.

"She was, Jedi. We grew up together…Lot and I courted her at the same time…"

Hoowis' voice trailed off, and Obi-Wan could tell he was holding back tears. Looking over the scene, Obi-Wan felt uncontrollable rage building up in him at the kind of villains that could commit such barbarity. Imagining himself in Hoowis' shoes with Bant or Siri being the victim only fueled his anger. He finally turned away, trying to banish it all into the Force, when he heard footsteps in the hallway, trudging towards the room. He came to the doorway just as Siri arrived at the threshold. Looking at her, he was shocked. Splotches of blood marred her hands, face, hair, and clothing. Her brilliant blue eyes were now just empty holes in her head, staring blankly down the hall. Brushing against her mind with the Force and looking over her face, he realized she was in a state of total emotional exhaustion, the horrors she had witnessed over the course of the day having caused her to shut down inside.

_She's always so vibrant, so feisty, so strong…this day must have been unbelievably traumatic for her. Still, neither of us has ever been exposed to this level of violence and cruelty before._

Trying to break the silence, he spoke to her. She looked in his direction, but her dead gaze went straight through him.

"How is Kestis?"

"Don't ask."

Even her voice sounded emotionless and burned out, utterly dead to the cruel world around her. She stepped towards the threshold of the bedroom as Obi-Wan tried to block her.

_With all she's seen today, she doesn't need to see what's in that room: especially as a woman._

"Siri…"

She was already around him, turning to look into the room. As she laid eyes on the body of Lina Kestis, Siri gasped and brought her hand to her mouth, her eyes widening in horror. She stood frozen in the doorway for several seconds, her expression almost one of denial at what she was seeing even as her mind processed it and told her it was indeed real.

"Oh, my….that's…that's horrible…"

Her entire body shook as she said this, and she began stepping away from the door and back down the hallway, her legs wobbling as if she would faint. She made it just a few steps before her legs buckled under her weight. She fell to her knees and vomited, shaking like a leaf. Looking back to Hoowis, Obi-Wan saw him rise and turn towards the doorway, his facial expression saying everything.

_See to her, Kenobi. See to her, and I will see to my own._

Turning back to Siri, Obi-Wan saw her curled into a fetal position against the wall, staring blankly ahead.

_She's a mess, Obi-Wan, but there's nothing you can do for her right now. In fact, it would probably be best if you left her alone for the time being. Don't approach Hoowis, either: he needs to say his goodbyes._

As he turned and leaned against the wall, Obi-Wan heard the unmistakable cry of an infant, coming from a door at the other end of the hallway.

_Kestis said something about a "Cal", probably his son…that must be him!_

Obi-Wan sprinted down the hallway towards the sound, his lightsaber in hand.

_At least I can save someone tonight!_

Obi-Wan burst through the door into a nursery, with a large crib in the corner and a window opposite the door. The crib was empty and its blankets strewn about, but a large man in light battle armor stood in front of the window, holding something up in the air in his arms. Obi-Wan quickly registered the object as an infant, held upside-down by the waist over the windowsill. The man continued to raise the infant, and Obi-Wan then realized what was going on.

_He's going to smash that infant's head against the windowsill!_

Jedi calm went out the window as Obi-Wan felt a spark of anger in him. The spark ignited the emotional tinderbox that the day had created, and with a roar of rage he ignited his lightsaber and hacked the man in two. As the man's upper half hit the ground, Obi-Wan brought his blade down on the man's head with his right hand as he used the Force to hold the falling infant in his left. The plasma blade split the man's head open, his eyes wide-open in shock at his sudden demise. Panting in exertion and shocked at his rage-fueled attack, Obi-Wan slowly regained his senses and deactivated his lightsaber. He brought the infant into his arms with the Force, walking over to the crib to swathe the naked child in blankets. The child was a boy, no more than a year old, with tufts of red hair and soft, pale skin. He screamed and cried uncontrollably as Obi-Wan tried to calm him, sending him waves of comfort through the Force.

_This must be Cal. Cal Kestis…has a nice ring to it, I must admit._

"Shh…shh, little one. You're safe now. You're safe."

Slowly, the boy stopped crying, his eyes opening as he looked upon his new protector for the first time. Looking into the little boy's eyes, Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile for the first time in what felt like years. The boy raised his hand towards Obi-Wan's face, and the Padawan placed his palm against the infant's.

_The Living Force radiates so strongly from this young one…he's a bright spot in a world gone to hell._

* * *

The Kokeemi sky was now dark, the stars shining down on Hoowis as he stood before two deep holes in the ground. Next to the holes sat the bodies of Lot and Lina Kestis, wrapped in cloths and secured in rope harnesses for their final trip together, down into their native soil. Horn stood by his commander's side, his face betraying no emotion and his back ramrod-straight. The other twenty guerillas guarded the area, two men guarding each corpse as the others lined the edges of the gravesite and the surviving townspeople, including the Kestis household servants, walked past to pay their respects. To Obi-Wan's relief, many of the townspeople as well as some of the servants had managed to flee into the surrounding fields, hiding out until the guerillas finally found them. All had lost their homes, and now had themselves and their families prepared to flee the region. Obi-Wan and Siri stood next to Horn, Obi-Wan holding Cal in his arms. Every time he looked at the boy, Obi-Wan could swear he looked more and more like his father, with his dark green eyes and red hair that had only just begun to grow. The boy had calmed since the chaos in the house had ended, and now slept soundly, wrapped in blankets in the Padawan's arms. Siri stood on Obi-Wan's right, leaning into him as she clutched his bicep. Her eyes were still dead, her body still exhausted, as she lay against Obi-Wan. Occasionally, she would glace over at the sleeping infant, and Obi-Wan would see the slightest, saddest smile on her face. He reached out to her through their Force bond as he thought of the boy's future.

_He's mine now, Siri. I must care for him._

_No, Obie. He's ours. His father's dying wish…he told me to look after his son. I'm in this with you, Obie._

_I understand, Siri. I'm…I'm…_

_You're what? Touched?_

_I'm glad we're in this together, Siri. We'll watch over him together, and I want you to know I wouldn't have it any other way._

She didn't say anything, and her expression remained unchanged, but a single tear ran down her cheek as she leaned further into Obi-Wan and met his gaze with her own.

_I wouldn't have it any other way either, Obie._


	12. The Perils of Routine

**Act II**

**Someone Else's War**

**Chapter 11**

**The Perils of Routine**

_"_ _Now, I will never leave you."_

_"_ _Never leave me…"_

_Obi-Wan began to cry as Siri slipped the small crystal into his hand. He pulled her in closer as she looked into his eyes, weakly smiling and coughing up blood._

_"_ _Don't…don't worry so much."_

_She fell limp in his arms as his tears fell freely…_

Sifo-Dyas snapped back to reality with a gasp, scanning his surroundings. He was in the Temple's Training Room, in a meditative position near the great window overlooking the Coruscant skyline. The room was totally quiet, with not a living soul in it besides the Jedi Master.

_These visions…they keep coming. They keep coming, with no end. And it's all my fault! And the damn Council would rather bicker about politics than do something about the Padawans! With friends like that, who needs enemies?_

"Sifo-Dyas?"

The Jedi Master rose to face his best friend, Dooku. The man who would have been Count of Serenno had instead been taken into the Jedi Order after the Order discovered his Force-sensitivity as an infant, and the two had been lifelong friends since. As Jedi Masters, both had come to a shared distaste for the increasingly corrupt Senate and for a Jedi Order that seemed more concerned with maintaining the galactic _status quo_ at any price than in doing the right thing.

"Dooku. It's a pleasure to see you again."

Despite Sifo-Dyas' greeting, Dooku saw right through him.

"Something troubles you, Sifo-Dyas. Another vision?"

_Well, there's no point in lying to him._

"Yes."

Sifo-Dyas was particularly gifted in seeing visions of the future, something unknown but to Dooku, his colleagues on the Jedi Council and a select few other Jedi, including Dooku's former Padawan, Qui-Gon Jinn. The Council routinely dismissed him, given that they saw visions as a manifestation of fear and thus a path to the dark side: he had even heard rumors of the Council expelling and imprisoning Jedi who had his gifts. Dooku, however, took his friend's premonitions seriously, if for no other reason than the fact that he didn't trust the Council. Over the past several years, his visions had become very disturbing, showing the fall of the Jedi Order. Images of armies of masked soldiers storming the Jedi Temple and slaughtering all its inhabitants, even the younglings; of a dark shadow standing before the Senate as the Senators cheered its presence; even of Obi-Wan facing another shadow in a sea of lava; all had passed through his mind over the previous years. And, since the disastrous mission to Kokeem, he had seen even more visions, this time concerning Obi-Wan and Siri. Working with the two Padawans and their Master against Sull Lok'ayy's artifact smuggling ring the previous year as well as in the recent Yinchorri Rebellion, he had come to greatly respect them, and they him. The Padawans were certainly different from their Masters, even different from each other. Obi-Wan was rule-bound, a company man in the making, very much unlike his maverick master. Sifo-Dyas had a feeling the young man would one day sit on the Jedi Council, and despite his and Dooku's differences with the Council he had to admit he would be proud of Obi-Wan for such an achievement. Siri, on the other hand, was an unorthodox spitfire, totally different to the serene, somewhat puritanical Adi. She had what it took to go on to great things, as well, but as a Master she likely wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the Council chamber.

_I almost pity the poor youngling that ends up as her Padawan. That kid is in for a wild ride._

Despite their glaring differences, the Padawans got along well, from what Sifo-Dyas had observed; some might say too well, at least for Jedi. Still, Sifo-Dyas knew better than to ask questions; his role in their lives was to watch, support, and, if necessary, criticize, not deal out lectures on the Jedi Code. He could leave that to their Masters. However, since their supposed deaths on Kokeem over a month ago, he had begun to see visions concerning them specifically. He had seen Siri's death in Obi-Wan's arms; seen Obi-Wan alone, old, baking in the sun on a lonely planet; seen a dark shadow strike down Obi-Wan aboard a massive space station. He was now all but certain the Padawans were in fact alive; they would not be part of the future he envisioned otherwise. However, he had been loathe to even mention his visions in front of the Council and thus request a rescue mission to Kokeem: he was concerned for their safety, and the news of these visions would only confirm what the Council already believed about them, namely that they were fear-based. Then, it was likely only a short trip to whatever insane asylum the Council supposedly sent those with prophetic gifts. On top of all this, the upcoming trade summit on Eriadu and the Chancellor's weak political position had the entire Council paranoid about any sort of mission that might result in military action and thus a potential bloodbath on the HoloNet. Despite all this, however, he knew he could confide in Dooku.

"What was it this time?"

"Kenobi. And Tachi. I…I saw her die. In Kenobi's arms."

Dooku simply nodded, taking in his friend's words. Sifo-Dyas continued.

"Ever since that mess on Kokeem, I've had these visions. And it's not just Siri's death, either. I've seen Obi-Wan, alone on some desolate planet, then struck down by some dark shadow aboard some kind of space station."

"And all this means what? That they're in danger?"

"That they're alive, Dooku. They wouldn't be part of the future otherwise."

"Then what would you want done?"

"I would want a force sent to Kokeem to find them!"

"You know the Council better than I do, Sifo-Dyas: you're on it. And you and I both know they won't allow that, as sensible as it might be."

Sifo-Dyas' desperation grew as Dooku put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know how you feel, Sifo-Dyas. Qui-Gon has spoken to me about this over the past month, and both he and Master Gallia know you're taking this hard."

_You're damn right I am. I thought that I had sent them to their deaths, but now I know they are now stuck on that planet facing Force knows what, without any support, because of me._

Sifo-Dyas paused, but then a single, brash idea came into his mind, pushing against his increasing hopelessness. In a moment, he decided to act on it.

"Could you tell Qui-Gon about these visions the next time you see him?"

Dooku's eyes widened in surprise at this suggestion. He turned away from Sifo-Dyas for a moment, clearly thinking this suggestion through.

_I may have overplayed my hand._

Dooku turned back to his friend, a mixture of understanding and worry on his face.

"I will. In the meantime, meditate, or train, or take a nap: anything to keep your mind from wandering too much. Worrying about this will only make it worse. I'll let you know what Qui-Gon has to say."

Sifo-Dyas put his arm around his friend's shoulder, the two standing shoulder to shoulder for a moment that one would never expect from two Jedi Masters. Then, Dooku left as Sifo-Dyas went back to his meditative session, wondering what the Padawans were up to. A sly smirk went over his face as he closed his eyes.

_Whatever you're doing, wherever you are, don't get into too much trouble._

* * *

Obi-Wan gently rapped on the door to Siri's quarters, where she and Cal awaited. It had been over a month since their rescue of Cal, and since then the two had raised him as a son, in between occasional planetside raids.

_She has him today. Tomorrow, it's my turn._

Despite the initially frosty reception they had received, both Obi-Wan and Siri could tell they were well on their way to becoming valued members of the FKA. Still, Siri had never been the same since that fateful planetside trip. An odd glance here, a change in mannerism there; the differences were subtle, but Obi-Wan knew her well enough to notice them.

_After what she saw that day, I can't blame her. She'll likely have to spend at least some time with the mind healers back at the Temple once this is over._

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Obi-Wan."

"Come on in."

Obi-Wan opened the door to Siri's quarters, a small stateroom more or less identical to his own. Much to his shock, he saw Siri laying casually on her cot, her breast bare with Cal sucking at it.

_I know she's suckled him since we found him, but I've always been out of the room when she's done it._

Obi-Wan flinched and averted his gaze, his voice as apologetic as it had ever been around Siri.

"Oh…I'm sorry…"

"No. It's okay; I'm almost done anyway. Please, sit down."

"Siri…"

"Obie, sit down. You're making me nervous."

Obi-Wan shut the door behind him and walked over to the desk. He reluctantly sat down in the worn metal chair, taking pains to keep his eyes out the window and only look at Siri when he spoke to her.

_And remember, her eyes are up there!_

Seemingly unfazed by this awkward encounter, Siri turned to Cal, speaking to the infant in a maternal lilt that Obi-Wan would never have expected to hear from her if they lived a thousand years together.

"That's Obie, Cal. Oh, please forgive him, he's just a little pwuuudish, isn't he? Isn't he?"

As she finished, she looked up at Obi-Wan, a mischievous grin on her face. Even as Cal stayed contentedly at Siri's breast, continuing to suckle, Obi-Wan could have sworn he heard the boy chuckle at Siri's comment.

"What's the matter, Kenobi? You scared of a little skin?"

Obi-Wan noticed he had been staring at Siri since she grinned at him.

"No, just you…taking care of a baby? Being a mother? And…"

"I'm so good at it?"

She continued before he could respond, her voice at once scolding and playful. She gently pulled Cal away and covered herself as she spoke.

"There are a _lot_ of surprises about me, Kenobi. Things you don't know."

The playfulness in her voice tripped something in Obi-Wan's mind. Almost involuntarily, he cocked an eyebrow at her and shot her a roguish half-smile.

"You don't say?"

Obi-Wan stood up as Siri laid Cal down on the cot and rose to meet him. The two walked towards each other, the Jedi in Obi-Wan suppressed by the man with disturbing ease. The two stood centimeters from one another, looking into each other's eyes.

"Any other… _surprises…_ you have for me?"

"Maybe."

With a playful look in her eyes, she stepped towards him as a pounding on the door ended the moment abruptly.

"Obi-Wan? Siri? Are you in there?"

_Horn._

After a quick glance to Siri to confirm she was decent, Obi-Wan opened the door, Siri looking over his shoulder. Horn stood there, clearly annoyed.

"What is it, Horn?"

"I tried to find you in your cabin, but you weren't there. I figured you were in here…uh…helping care for the little boy."

"Yes. Yes, I was."

"Both of you are to come with me. Mr. Hoowis has something for you tonight, and he needs all three of us in the ready room."

"Understood."

"One minute, Horn. Just let me get my jacket on."

Siri turned to grab her jacket as Obi-Wan walked into the hallway with Horn. Horn turned to Obi-Wan with a disapproving look in his eyes, one that told the Padawan that Horn knew what he had interrupted. Obi-Wan could only grin sheepishly as Horn shook his head in resignation.

* * *

Obi-Wan, Siri, and Horn entered the ready room to see Hoowis and another man standing by the central holoprojector and six FKA soldiers seated on the room's benches, Strush among them. Hoowis gestured for the three to sit down, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but notice the way Horn glanced at Siri for the briefest moment as she sat down.

_Does he fancy her as well?_

Hoowis spoke before Obi-Wan could feel any jealousy.

"Jedi, Horn, soldiers. We're all here, and we haven't much time, so I'll be brief. With the enemy's actions in Zojadab Province, we've been dealt a severe blow. We've lost a number of our most loyal allies, and our auxiliary forces report similar raids across the rest of the province, with reports of both KDF and Vampire activity. However, we have more immediate concerns at hand. Mr. Harvel will explain."

Harvel, the ship's TAO, stepped forward to address the gathered crowd. Obi-Wan and Siri had met him during their first few days aboard the _Wolverine_ ; a deceptively wiry man with black hair and fiery blue eyes, the most senior member of the ship's company and the highest-ranking officer aboard other than Horn and, of course, Hoowis himself.

"I've been getting reports from Engineering over the past few days of wear and tear on the ship's engine components. Normally, this would be a matter for them to handle, but upon closer examination, it seems some of the parts for the ship's engines are nearing the end of their service lives. We can keep her running for a little longer, but I give us no more than two weeks before we have to put the _Wolverine_ down somewhere until we can get the parts we need. But, given our, er…questionable legal status as rebels, those parts will be very difficult to get, and what's more, we'll need to go planetside to source them. I've informed Mr. Hoowis of the situation, and he can take it from there. Sir?"

"Thank you, Mr. Harvel. As he said, we'll need to dig up these parts planetside, which is no mean feat with Husan keeping an eye on everything. However, I've managed to secure a supply line on the parts we need. I have a supply run scheduled for tonight, but I'll need to send a team planetside to rendezvous with our couriers and retrieve the parts. That's where you come in, Jedi."

"What would you have us do, Mr. Hoowis?"

"The retrieval team will consist of the six soldiers you see in this room with you, led by Mr. Horn. However, I want you as part of this team as well, Obi-Wan."

Siri quickly interjected.

"What about me, Mr. Hoowis?"

"We won't need you for this one, Siri. Obi-Wan is just there to help load the parts onto the shuttle and provide support in case the team runs into trouble. Chances are that we won't even run into opposition; his presence is just a precaution. If something bigger comes up while the team is planetside, I may need you to help deal with that, so I can't send both of you. Obi-Wan can handle this on his own."

Siri looked mildly annoyed at this, but she said nothing further. Hoowis, frowning at Siri's visible displeasure, turned to Obi-Wan.

"You and the team will travel planetside in the shuttle and rendezvous with a team of our auxiliaries at an abandoned farm. They will hand over the parts, along with a large utility landspeeder to take them to the landing site. You will proceed to the shuttle with the auxiliaries, and then load the parts onto repulsor sleds. I've added several more sleds to the shuttle's standard compliment of one to allow you to bring the parts aboard. Once that's done, the auxiliaries will leave the area as you and the team hyperspace back to the _Wolverine._ "

"Auxiliaries, sir?"

"They're the FKA's auxiliary branch, mostly composed of those too old or too young to serve in the FKA's active branch. They act as support personnel to the FKA's active branch; they act as spies for the FKA, they provide us with logistical services as well as lodging via safehouses, and occasionally they take part in small-scale military actions such as acts of sabotage or even ambushes. They also help distribute our propaganda, as well as aid dissenters in escaping from the cities and other occupied regions of the planet. They're our jacks-of-all-trades for anything other than major direct action, and there are in fact more Kokeemi serving in the auxiliary branch of the FKA than there are in the active. And they're the ones that have acquired the spare parts we need. All you need to do is pick them up."

"Do you think we'll face any opposition, Mr. Hoowis?"

"Not likely, Obi-Wan. Anything can happen, of course, and you must prepare yourself for that; I wouldn't be sending you otherwise. However, it's still extremely unlikely that you and the team will meet with any attempts to stop the handover. We've kept this meeting unknown to all but a few in both our active component's top ranks and a few high-ranking members of the auxiliary, most of whom were directly involved in the purchase and transportation of the parts themselves. As far as I'm aware, even the six men you and Mr. Horn will lead tonight did not know about this contingency until they entered this room."

"Wait…I'm to lead them, sir?"

"You're second-in-command of this team, Obi-Wan. Horn is in command, but you're right behind him. And, in case you do run into trouble and something happens to Horn, you will be in command."

Before Obi-Wan could respond, Hoowis cut him off.

"You can handle it, Kenobi. Don't let me down."

* * *

Obi-Wan quietly knocked on the door to Siri's quarters, hoping to get in a final goodnight before he headed planetside.

_Hoowis said we shouldn't run into trouble, but how does he know that? Every time we go planetside, there's always a risk._

She opened the door, dressed in her pants and shirt with her jacket hung over the chair on the desk and Cal clearly visible on the cot.

"We're headed out now, Siri. I'm on my way to the hangar after this."

"Well, enjoy yourself, Kenobi. I get a nice, hot shower and some quality time with Junior over there, while _you_ get to haul boxes around for however long it takes you to load that shuttle."

"Hey, you might get called out to do something exciting. And I might run into trouble planetside."

"Swell chance that'll happen, Kenobi. Hoowis was probably just trying not to hurt my feelings. Besides, I'm careful what I wish for. You, on the other hand…"

"Like you and everyone else said, nothing will happen."

"Famous last words."

He laughed at her comment, but then his expression turned serious, her expression changing to match.

_Those very well may be my "famous last words."_

Now, her voice was tender rather than playful, her eyes worried instead of coquettish.

"Be careful."

"I will. Good night, Siri."

The two stood there and looked into each other's eyes for a few seconds, and it took everything in Obi-Wan's being not to step forward and kiss her. He could tell she was facing the same struggle.

_What happened last year on the way home from Vodran was pleasant, but it can't happen again. Even with no Masters out here, we're still Jedi._

"Good night, Obie."

With that, she shut the door as Obi-Wan started off towards the hangar, to answer duty's call once more.

* * *

Qui-Gon stepped into the cantina, taking in his surroundings. The establishment was a relatively upper-class place he frequented, often to get information from various contacts or occasionally to have a drink with his old Master, Dooku. Various beings walked around, smoking, drinking, and laughing while in various states of inebriation. Music played over a loudspeaker system, mostly jazzy-sounding tunes from various high-profile bands. And, sitting at the bar and turning to face him, was his old Master, a wide, genuine smile on his face that one never would have anticipated from such a distinguished Jedi. He stood up and walked over to shake Qui-Gon's hand.

"Ah, Qui-Gon. It's a pleasure to see you again, my old apprentice."

"Likewise, Master."

With a smile between them, the two men sat down at the bar, Qui-Gon raising his hand to call over the bartender.

"What would you like to drink, sir?"

"A Ruby Bliels, please."

"And you?"

"A glass of Scaram's, neat."

"Coming right up, sir."

The bartender walked away to prepare their drinks as the two men turned to each other.

"So, what brings you here, Master?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know that look on your face when you have something serious to discuss, Master. I learned it better than I wanted to as a Padawan."

 _Well, there's no point in dragging this out any further,_ thought Dooku.

"It's Sifo-Dyas, Qui-Gon."

A sad look went over Qui-Gon's features as the memory of Sifo-Dyas at the funeral played in his mind.

"Is he still taking this hard?"

_If I'm being honest, so am I. At least it wasn't his Padawan that got killed._

"His visions, Qui-Gon. He's seen your Padawan, and Master Gallia's. He told me he's seen them suffering, dying."

Qui-Gon looked at his old Master, confused. Then, his mind registered what this meant. A wide-eyed look of denial went over his face as he spoke.

_Visions are of the future. They may or may not come to pass, but they are nonetheless pictures of a possible future. And if Obi-Wan and Siri are somehow part of the future, then…_

"No. That's not possible. I saw them die. I saw their funeral. They're dead, Master! They're both dead!"

Dooku seemed taken aback to some degree by his old Padawan's reaction, but he quickly regained his calm.

"Think about it, Qui-Gon. What did you really see that day?"

"I didn't see either eject, Master."

"But you didn't see them die. And you didn't _see_ them eject: you don't know for certain they didn't."

Qui-Gon stopped for a moment, gathering his thoughts and processing what all this meant.

_He thinks they're alive? How is that possible? And even if they are, what can we do about it?_

"Have you told anyone else about this, Master?"

"No, Qui-Gon. Only you, myself, and Sifo-Dyas know of this development. And all three of us must do everything we can to keep it that way."

Qui-Gon wanted to agree, to tell his old Master that this was the way, but his concern for Adi quickly took over his mind.

_If what Sifo-Dyas thinks is indeed true, then it's not just my own Padawan in danger. Hers is as well, and she deserves to…_

"I know what you're thinking, Qui-Gon. I know you feel that Master Gallia needs to know that her Padawan is possibly alive, but don't let your friendship with her cloud your judgment. She is still a member of the Council, and you know what they think of Sifo-Dyas and his visions. If any of what we're discussing here gets out, the Council will have our heads. And she's too much of a company woman to keep this a secret: if she hears about this, she'll tell the entire Council without a second thought."

Dooku had an understanding but almost condescending look in his eyes, one that Qui-Gon knew all too well.

_And it never ceases to annoy me, even though I ceased being his Padawan so many years ago. Still, what he says is likely true. As much as I should tell her, the three of us need to keep this a secret._

"Your drinks, gentlemen."

The bartender slapped down the drinks, and the two Jedi turned from each other to their drinks; Dooku taking a long swig of his gin as Qui-Gon cautiously sipped at his Ruby Bliels, deep in thought.

_This…this is an unexpected development. Still…Obi-Wan? Alive? I should feel overjoyed at such news, but I don't know whether I should feel ecstatic or anxious. And why do I feel so anxious right now, after I've just learned that my Padawan has returned from the grave?_

As he took another sip, he closed his eyes and reached out into the Force, hoping that what he was about to say would reach his Padawan.

_Obi-Wan, if you're out there, I will come for you. I will find you. You have my word as a Jedi, and as your Master._


	13. Through the Driving Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An "out-of-battery" detonation is a concept taken from real-world firearms, where a fully closed and locked bolt is said to be "in battery." Bolts have locking lugs (these are protrusions that look like small horns when viewed) that lock into recesses in the firearm's reciever (the main body of the firearm that houses the chamber and the bolt, and this is where the term comes from, as this part of the firearm "recieves" the head of the bolt) that allow the bolt to stay in place when the firearm is discharged and thus prevent the cartridge from simply blowing up in the user's face. An out-of-battery detonation is just that: a situation where the firing pin strikes the primer and detonates the cartridge while the bolt is not closed and locked. This usually results in a small explosion and release of hot gas right where the shooter's face is, which needless to say is not something you want to have happen. Blasters in Star Wars are not laser weapons, contrary to popular perception, but actually plasma weapons, similar to those used by the Covenant in the Halo universe, albeit more sophisticated than the Covenant weapons. To function, plasma weapons must excite gas into plasma projectiles (a plasma projectile, without getting too deep down scientific rabbit holes, is effectively a superheated ball of excited gas particles) and in Star Wars this is done in a chamber known as the XCiter, where upon pulling the trigger gas is released into this chamber and excited (hence the name XCiter) before being channeled down through focusing components to create a blaster bolt. Disruptors (the term used for disintegrators in the Star Wars universe) have extremely large XCiters that excite enough gas to disintegrate organic matter or rip through starship hulls, albeit at the cost of a slow rate of fire due to cooling needs. Those of you that have seen The Mandalorian, played the Jedi Knight series of PC games, or read the first work of this series (Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Trail of the Sith; again, read this trilogy in order as these books build on one another) will have seen disruptors in action. Given that the gas in question (usually Tibanna gas in the Star Wars universe) must be fairly volatile to be used in a blaster in the first place, it is concievable that a ruptured XCiter would result in some sort of in-universe version of an out-of-battery detonation, as the chamber cannot contain the exciting of the gas and instead that energy is released outwards instead of channeled as intended.

**Chapter 12**

**Through the Driving Rain**

"Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan was oblivious to Horn's voice as a wave of comfort from the Force washed over him, its source unknown but familiar for some reason.

_Master? Is that you? How did you…_

"Obi-Wan? Are you well?"

Horn's concerned query snapped Obi-Wan back to the moment. The Padawan turned to respond to his companion.

"I'm fine. Just…just nerves, that's all."

"Well, get those nerves under control. I wouldn't want you going all to pieces on me."

"Right…right."

Obi-Wan sat in the passenger seat of a large utility landspeeder, Horn in the driver's seat and a downpour raging outside as the Kokeemi countryside flashed past in the stark glare of the headlights and the brief, startling lightning strikes. The other members of the team, among them Strush, Obi-Wan's companion during the boarding action on the lake, sat in the back. Sitting with them was an auxiliary that had met them at the landing site with the speeder. The rest of the auxiliaries, he had been told, waited at the farm where the handoff was to take place. Despite Hoowis' confidence in a smooth handover, the party had left nothing to chance. The six regulars, led by Strush, were all fully armed and equipped in case of an emergency, and even the auxiliary had a large, ancient-looking blaster pistol tucked into his waistband. The rest of the auxiliaries participating in the handoff, Obi-Wan had been told, were unarmed, except for a token guard: the Kokeemi government had banned any possession of blasters by civilians, and those civilians caught in possession of a blaster were invariably executed or simply arrested and never seen again. It was simply too risky to arm all of the auxiliaries, in case something went wrong and the auxiliaries were caught. Horn carried his pistol, and Obi-Wan his pistol and lightsaber. In addition to this, all members of the team had been given ponchos to keep out the rain, including Obi-Wan and Horn.

_We're armed to the hilt here, but we won't be fully loaded until we get those spare parts secured and ready for transport. At least we won't be doing it in wet clothes._

"So, where are we doing this pickup? Hoowis said something about an abandoned farm, but I don't know much else."

"We've done handoffs here before, Obi-Wan. It's an abandoned farm out in the middle of the countryside. Nothing but animal dung and contraband for kilometers in every direction; it's the perfect place for the auxiliaries to hand over anything illicit they've acquired that our active branch needs. Weapons, food; anything at all, really."

"That's interesting. Sounds simple."

"Because it will be. You Jedi might always have your noses out for trouble, but tonight will be smooth. We'll meet the auxiliaries, they'll lead us to the parts, and we'll load the parts, get back to the shuttle, and get up and into hyperspace."

"If you say so, Horn."

Obi-Wan shrugged and turned his eyes to the road, mesmerized by the dirt rolling by in the gleam of the headlights. As his mind turned to Siri, probably showering by now before she put Cal to bed, Horn almost seemed to read his thoughts.

"You're just eager to get back to Siri, aren't you? You want some exciting story to tell her while the two of you are giving it a go on her cot. Some blood and thunder to make your pillow talk all the more lively while she sits in rapt amazement at your bravery and skill!"

Despite Horn's words clearly being good-natured teasing, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel angry at the casually sexual way Horn spoke of he and Siri. His reply came off with an air of malice that would have made Qui-Gon admonish him on the spot.

"Don't test me, Horn."

Horn recoiled at the harsh response, raising his hand apologetically.

"No need to get angry, Obi-Wan. Just a bit of man talk, is all."

"I'm not in this for Siri. Besides, we're Jedi. It's not allowed."

"Allowed or not, there's something between you two…"

"No, there isn't. We're just friends and that's all we can be."

"Come on, Obi-Wan. I see the way you look at her. And don't think I wasn't paying attention when I found you together just before we came here."

_He's right…no, no! He can't be! You and Siri…you can't…_

"Just teasing you, Obi-Wan. She's a fine woman, and an excellent addition to our cause."

Horn's voice rang with subtle admiration as he spoke of Siri, sending a spark of jealousy through Obi-Wan. The Padawan tried to keep the anger out of his voice as he replied.

"We're just friends, Horn. And besides, if anything happened tonight, and I told her, she wouldn't sit in 'rapt amazement' like some hormonal girl. In fact, she would probably punch me and tell me what a brainless ass I was, that I could have been killed."

"We all know the risks here, Obi-Wan. And I'm sure she does as well."

"She knows them, but she doesn't have to like them."

_Especially when those risks involve me._

"Ah. We're here."

Out of the darkness, a small bridge came into view, crossing over a drainage ditch towards a dirt road, with buildings barely visible against the darkness and the falling sheets of rain. On the right, a small outbuilding stood watch over the bridge. As the speeder slowed to a halt, Obi-Wan could sense increasing concern in Horn as the guerilla leader kept his eyes on the outbuilding.

"What's wrong?"

"One of the auxiliaries is supposed to meet us here, Obi-Wan. But he's not here."

As his eyes shifted to the barren outbuilding, and past it to the complex at the edge of the darkness, Obi-Wan felt a sense of dread wash over him.

_I have a bad feeling about this._

"He's probably just asleep. This should wake him up."

Horn pressed down on the landspeeder's control column, splitting the rainy night with a blast of the speeder's horn. Despite the jarring noise, no one came.

"Something doesn't feel right…"

"I told you, Obi-Wan. He's just asleep. It's probably all this rain having an effect on him. Either that, or he's drunk."

Obi-Wan could only stare into the darkness, his dread growing even as Horn let loose two long blasts from the speeder's horn. Again, there was no response.

"He's not coming."

Now, Horn sat transfixed alongside Obi-Wan, staring into the darkness as the Padawan sensed his companion's dread grow. After a long silence, Horn turned to Obi-Wan, his voice a mixture of annoyance and fear.

"Very well, then. Let's go find him."

The two men threw up the hoods on their ponchos and dismounted, the muddy ground squishing under their boots and the rain pattering harshly off of their ponchos. Obi-Wan kept his eyes on the complex in the distance as Horn walked around to the rear of the speeder to gather the rest of the group. Obi-Wan stepped into the headlights, continuing to scan the darkness for any movement as Horn came back around the speeder with the rest of the group in tow.

"Kenobi. You'll scout ahead. The others and I will be right behind you."

"Fair enough, then."

Obi-Wan set off into the darkness, nervously carrying his hand to his lightsaber and taking heart in the cold, smooth metal against his hand.

_I don't know what's out there, but at least I'm not alone._

* * *

As he arrived at the main farm complex, the first thing Obi-Wan noticed was a faint light shining through the cracks of the wood of the nearby barn. An unpleasant sensation, faint but distinct, came over him as he looked at the building.

_Something's wrong here. But I can't say what it is!_

The complex consisted of the barn, along with several other outbuildings. Looking into one, Obi-Wan saw the silhouette of a man through the window, apparently sitting in a chair.

_It looks like I've found the auxiliaries. Better wake this one up._

Even as he approached, though, Obi-Wan remained uneasy.

_What the hell is going on here? And why am I still feeling off about all this?_

Obi-Wan entered the building, coming upon a man apparently asleep in a chair under a dim, swinging lantern. The man was dressed in civilian clothing, but he had a distinctive gold cloth wrapped around his right arm, and a rifle lay in his lap. He sat completely still with his back to the Padawan.

_He's definitely ours. Time to wake him up._

"Excuse me? Sir? Are you awake?"

Obi-Wan got no response. He spoke again, louder.

"Sir? Are you awake?"

Again, the man did not reply, nor did he move.

_Is he drunk? What is this idiot doing?_

"Sir…"

Obi-Wan reached and grasped the man's shoulder, only for the chair to come tumbling backwards under his grip. Looking into the man's face, Obi-Wan now realized what he had stumbled into. The man's mouth was wide-open in a silent scream of terror, his eyes lazily staring off into oblivion. Blood oozed from a massive, deep gash across his throat. Obi-Wan gasped and recoiled in horror, only to halt as his spine came to rest against a cold, metallic object. A man's voice from behind the Padawan punctuated the shocking moment.

"Don't move, tough guy. Unless you want to end up like your friend."

Obi-Wan raised his hands, going through the room's layout in his mind.

_You get one shot at this._

The man began to speak, but Obi-Wan was so focused on his escape plan that his captor's words were little more than gibberish in the background, as inconsequential as the driving of the rain. The Padawan remembered the swinging lantern; tried to ascertain the height and the positioning of the man behind him; double-checked the location of his lightsaber in his mind.

_Now!_

Closing his eyes and letting the Force flow through him, Obi-Wan flung the lantern into the entryway with the Force. The sudden, apparently inexplicable movement of the lantern and the splintering crash behind the two men shattered his opponent's focus, and Obi-Wan pounced. In a single motion, he called his lightsaber to his hand and twisted away from the blaster at his back, locking the man's right forearm under his armpit. The blaster discharged harmlessly behind Obi-Wan's back as the Force guided his lightsaber to the man's gut. In an instant, Obi-Wan ignited the weapon, and the blade shot upwards through the man's chest, coming out his back between his shoulder blades. The man went limp and fell to the ground as Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber.

_It went up through his chest cavity and right through his heart, just like I intended. He was probably dead right as he hit the ground._

Frantic shouting outside the shack brought Obi-Wan back to the situation around him. He ignited his lightsaber and dashed outside to see two men standing across from him, wearing ponchos and combat fatigues and armed with blaster rifles. The men stared at him for a moment, while Obi-Wan waited to see what their next move would be. Then, the men raised their rifles, and Obi-Wan took a combat stance.

_If they want to die here, then so be it._

Obi-Wan rushed towards the riflemen, deflecting their fire as they hopelessly tried to gun him down. The Padawan deflected a bolt into the left-hand man's stomach, sending him to the ground with a howl of pain. The right-hand man continued to back up and fire at Obi-Wan, terror in his eyes as his opponent grew closer and closer. The Padawan brought his lightsaber down on the rifleman's right arm as the terrified man raised his arm in a vain attempt to block the glowing shaft of plasma barreling down towards his arm. Obi-Wan hacked through the man's arm, slicing it off at the elbow and cutting the man's rifle apart, and with a twirl, walloped off his head before the man could even cry out in pain. The headless rifleman flopped into the mud with a sickening, final _splat_ as Obi-Wan scanned his surroundings, searching for any more threats before he risked deactivating his lightsaber. The left-hand man continued to writhe and groan in pain, but he made no attempt to grab his rifle as it lay in the mud next to him.

_The fight is over. But where is everyone else?_

As if answering his question, the rest of the group sprinted around the corner of the barn with Horn at its head, quickly swinging their weapons towards Obi-Wan as he raised his lightsaber to meet the sudden arrival. Horn raised his left hand as he kept his pistol trained forward in his right.

"Friendly! Friendly!"

"Horn. What took you so long?"

"We were just walking along that path towards you, when we heard blaster fire. What happened here?"

"These…these men…they attacked me. I killed them, and I haven't seen anyone else."

Horn ran his eyes over the two men lying in the mud in front of the barn, and then turned back to Obi-Wan.

"Were there any others?"

"One, in that shack over there. He's dead as well."

"Take me there. The rest of you, secure this area."

Obi-Wan and Horn walked over to the shack, where the dead auxiliary and the man that had surprised Obi-Wan now lay next to each other, united in death. Horn looked over the scene, his gaze locking onto the dead auxiliary.

"Our gold armband. He's one of the auxiliaries. I'd wager the rest are as dead as he is."

"We should at least look for them, though."

"I concur, Obi-Wan."

The two men now turned their attention to the man Obi-Wan had killed in the shack, lying face-up with a blaster pistol near his right hand.

"Who were these men? Bandits? You said this whole operation was supposed to be secret…"

Horn briefly lost his temper, a rare occurrence for the otherwise icy-calm young man.

" _Hoowis_ said that, Obi-Wan."

Horn knelt down to examine the man's corpse, lifting up his poncho to reveal combat fatigues identical to those worn by the soldiers guarding the warehouse a month earlier. Obi-Wan stood in shock as Hoowis stood up with a mixture of surprise and disgust on his face.

"They're KDF. This man was an officer, by the looks of things. Those two out there were undoubtedly his men."

"But how could the KDF know? If no one outside knew about this, then that means…"

"I know, Obi-Wan. We can root out the traitor responsible for this later. Right now, we need to find what's left of the auxiliaries and locate those parts."

A blaster shot rang out from the yard outside. Obi-Wan quickly realized what it was.

"That man I wounded, did your men just…"

Horn locked his gaze onto Obi-Wan's. His hazel eyes exuded coldness and cruelty, and his mouth was twisted into a harsh scowl. He addressed the Padawan through gritted teeth.

"It's a different world out here, Jedi. Explain your squeamishness to the man at your feet. And to Blu'up."

Without another word, Horn shoved past Obi-Wan out into the yard. After a moment's pondering, Obi-Wan turned and followed him out of the shack. Five of the men knelt in the mud, scanning the darkness for any trouble as they carefully cradled their rifles. The once-wounded man was now silent and motionless; his head burst open and his brains scattered across the nearby mud. Obi-Wan tried not to look at the unfortunate soldier as he walked towards the barn, where Horn stood at the entrance, taking stock of the situation. He turned to face Obi-Wan as the Padawan approached.

"I have one of the men, as well as the auxiliary that came with us, inside the barn searching for any sign of the other auxiliaries. If they see something, they'll…"

"Sir, you'd better come see this."

The voice came from the guerilla inside the barn, now peering out from behind a stack of hay that obscured the view from the entrance to the back of the barn. Worryingly, the man was white as a sheet.

_That can't be good._

Remembering the horrific scenes of the raid a month earlier, Obi-Wan braced for whatever he was about to witness as he followed an equally apprehensive Horn around the pile of hay.

_At least Siri isn't here to see this._

The three men rounded the bend to see the auxiliary, frozen in horror as he looked upon a line of corpses, sprawled on the floor in the throes of death. The bodies were all males, grey-haired and wrinkled men or fresh-faced youths who looked to be little more than adolescents. Their faces were contorted into grimaces of agony and fear, and their bodies were pockmarked with plasma burns. Behind them, several more scorch marks completed the grim picture in Obi-Wan's mind of what had happened, and the unpleasant feeling he had upon first seeing the barn now became clear.

_Blaster fire. Looks like the KDF herded them all in here and executed them. And I can still feel the residual hatred of the act._

"Well, we've found the auxiliaries. Now, all we can do is find those spare parts, and ensure these men didn't die in vain."

"What about the bodies?"

The surviving auxiliary spoke for the first time since the initial meeting at the landing zone. Horn turned to the man, answering in a calm and resolute voice despite the grisly scene before the group.

"We'll take them with us, so we can identify them and notify their next of kin. Then, we will ensure they receive a proper burial. You have my word, and that of Mr. Hoowis. We will ensure these men are treated with the reverence and dignity due them."

"Thank you…thank you, sir."

Something at the edge of his vision caught Obi-Wan's eye. Examining it, he saw a trail of bloody handprints, leading away from the site of the execution and up a flight of stairs.

"Horn! Look!"

Obi-Wan pointed out the blood trail, and Horn quickly gestured for the auxiliary to go outside. Drawing his blaster, Obi-Wan ascended the stairs, Horn right behind him with his own blaster at the ready. As the two men reached the top of the stairs and looked out over the barn's loft, they saw the source of the handprints. A boy, looking to be around eighteen, sat slumped against a wall, clutching a hole in his gut as another hung open near his shoulder. Blood caked his hands and parts of his clothing. His skin had lost some of its tone, the color drained from his face. Obi-Wan could feel the boy's life force fading even as he walked up the stairs. Incredibly, the blood on him still looked somewhat wet.

_This couldn't have happened more than ten minutes ago! Probably right as we were pulling up to the front gate! If only we had been here just moments earlier, we could have stopped this! We could have saved those men!_

The boy turned his head to face the new arrivals. Even as he lay dying, Obi-Wan could sense resolve in him, the boy's emotions showing no fear.

_He's prepared to face his end. Given what he experienced before he managed to crawl up here, he's likely made his peace with death already._

Laying eyes on the boy, Obi-Wan quickly turned to Horn.

"I found one! He's alive! He's alive!"

Obi-Wan rushed to the boy's side, quickly sending him comfort through the Force as Horn dashed up the stairs. Examining the lone survivor of the massacre more clearly, Obi-Wan saw he had brown eyes and dark brown hair, with large, broad shoulders and surprisingly tough-looking skin that suggested a life spent working in the fields. The boy then spoke to Obi-Wan, his voice weak but surprisingly coherent.

"Who are you?"

"We're with the FKA. We're here to rescue you."

Obi-Wan put his hand to the wound on the boy's gut, healing it with the Force as best as he could.

_I wish Bant were here. This is her area of expertise, not mine. And with this boy's wounds, he may be dead within the hour._

Horn walked to the boy's side, opposite Obi-Wan. He withdrew a vial of bacta from a pouch on his belt and began rubbing the liquid into the boy's shoulder wound. Gesturing Obi-Wan to move away, he soon began rubbing the remaining bacta against the boy's gut wound as Obi-Wan continued to send the boy comfort through the Force.

"What happened here?"

"The KDF. They surprised us right after the speeder left. They took the spare parts away on another speeder, and then herded us all into the barn. Then, they lined us up and shot us."

"But you survived."

"Yes…I was in a lot of pain…I could see everyone else was dead. I thought they would come up and make sure we were all dead, but they just walked out and left us. I waited until I thought they were all gone, and then I crawled up here. I knew that there would be a team of regulars to guard the shipment, and I figured you would find me if I hung on long enough."

"We're here, now. And we'll get you medical attention promptly."

"Thank you, sir. Thank you. Who are you, anyway?"

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. I'm new to the FKA."

_It's true, from a certain point of view._

The boy looked across to Horn, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Talyon Horn? THE Talyon Horn? The second-in-command of the FKA?"

"Yes, that's me."

The boy smiled, ecstatic at meeting such an illustrious figure despite his precarious circumstances.

"It's an honor to meet you, sir."

"I'm pleased to see you too. Just save your strength. Have you ever been in space before?"

The boy's face lit up.

"I've always wanted to go there, sir."

"Good. You're going aboard the _Wolverine_ herself. You'll get the finest medical treatment you could ever ask for. Then, we'll get you home."

"The _Wolverine?_ It'd be an honor, sir."

"Just stay alive. Stay alive, and you'll be going home."

The boy's expression suddenly turned grim, and he reached out to grab Horn's arm.

"Tell Mom, tell Dad, tell my sisters…tell them I'm alright. Please. Do that as soon as you take me aboard. My brothers are all dead, and I don't want everyone to think I am too."

"We'll let them know as soon as we can. You have my word on that."

As Horn shot a reassuring smile at the boy, Obi-Wan felt a pang of danger from the Force. Within seconds, blaster fire rang out from outside.

"HORN! WE'VE GOT COMPANY!"

Dashing to the edge of the loft and peering out over the ground floor below, Obi-Wan saw three of the guerillas posted outside, Strush among them, now running into the barn as blaster bolts cut through the night air behind them. One man, hit in the back, dropped to his knees at the entrance before a flurry of blaster bolts tore into him. He pitched lifelessly onto the ground as Strush and the other man sought cover in the barn. Obi-Wan raised his pistol, knowing what came next. Within seconds, several KDF soldiers appeared at the entrance to the barn, only to be met with a hail of blaster fire from Obi-Wan, Horn, and the two men on the lower level. The soldiers quickly ducked behind the sides of the barn, but Obi-Wan saw one drop under his blaster, too slow to escape with his comrades. Another went down under the fire of the guerillas on the first floor. After no sight of the soldiers for several seconds, Obi-Wan heard smashing noises on the side of the barn.

"They're trying to smash their way in!"

Obi-Wan holstered his pistol and called his lightsaber to his hand with the Force.

"Horn, stay here with the boy. I'll deal with this."

One of the guerillas downstairs shouted in panic as the wall collapsed with a splintering crash.

"They're breaking through! They're breaking through!"

Obi-Wan Force jumped over the edge of the loft and onto the barn's ground level, igniting his lightsaber as he turned to face the threat. A packed-together crowd of men in KDF uniforms were pouring through a ragged opening in the wall, the guerilla closest to them backpedaling and firing at them. Several went down before their fellows returned fire, killing the guerilla where he stood. By then, however, Obi-Wan was upon them. The Padawan deflected a bolt into a soldier's head, bursting it open and sending the man flopping to the ground. Seeing the Padawan approaching them with his lightsaber ignited, the surviving soldiers attempted to flee back through the opening, over the bodies of their fallen comrades. Obi-Wan hacked through several more soldiers before the last survivors made it out, sprinting off into the darkness. Obi-Wan stood his ground, refusing to pursue them.

_This is kill or be killed, but those men aren't threats anymore. They're beaten. Running down a fleeing opponent out of bloodlust is not the Jedi way._

The Padawan finally deactivated his lightsaber, his gaze on the bodies now strewn across the barn floor. Looking over the bodies, Obi-Wan fought the pull of the dark side.

_I've killed more men tonight than I've killed in my entire life up to this point. At least, that's what it feels like._

Horn hobbled down the stairs, supporting the weight of the wounded boy now leaning on him as Strush kept the barn's entrance covered with a repeating blaster.

"Obi-Wan. We need to leave."

_Good. I don't want to look at these dead men anymore._

The boy spoke to Horn as Obi-Wan and the guerilla joined the two, his voice ragged.

"The…the others…"

"I'm sorry. We'll have to leave them; there's no time. Right now, our entire force is dead. We need to get you out of here, and reinforcements could show up at any time. We can't afford to stay here any longer."

The boy sighed, and then violently coughed, hacking up blood onto Horn's jacket. Obi-Wan spoke reassuringly to the boy as the group left the barn.

"Keep up your strength. Keep going. What do you think they would have wanted you to do?"

As the trio stepped out into the rain once more, Obi-Wan saw the ground littered with more bodies, this time of the other three members of the landing party as well as the lone auxiliary that had accompanied them. Across from them, towards the trees, several KDF soldiers also lay dead in the mud.

_Our boys might have died, but they took a few of the enemy with them._

Horn surveyed the scene, his mouth open in shock and his voice thick with anger.

"Everyone's dead…what a massacre. And the spare parts are gone."

"We can at least bring this one home alive, Horn."

* * *

Obi-Wan and Strush finished loading the boy into the back of the utility landspeeder as Horn started the engine. The boy was still alive, but Obi-Wan could sense his life force continuing to fade.

_Still, those wounds would have proved mortal to most beings. He's got something powerful in him to be able to survive this far._

Sensing a warning through the Force, Obi-Wan scanned the trees, looking for any sign of reinforcements. At first, he saw nothing. Then, for a split second, he saw a light moving rapidly through the trees, following the path of the road leading from the farm complex. He turned and shouted to Horn through the opening leading to the driver's compartment.

"Horn! We've got someone coming toward us!"

"Hold on!"

The speeder violently lurched forward and turned onto the road, Obi-Wan and Strush hanging on to whatever they could find as the boy was thrown against the side of the speeder's cargo compartment. As the drive leading to the farm faded into the distance, a set of lights swerved out from it and began closing on the speeder. Examining the source of the lights as it gained on the guerillas' speeder, Obi-Wan saw it was a large, armored landspeeder, a SoroSuub model with a bow-mounted repeating blaster cannon and an enclosed, armored crew compartment. Then, behind it, he saw two smaller military landspeeders, bristling with heavily armed soldiers and bearing down on the guerillas' speeder. Seeing the pursuers, Strush ran to the opening at the rear and shouldered his blaster as Obi-Wan ran to the opening leading to the driver's compartment.

"Horn! They're on us!"

"I can see them. That armored speeder looks like a problem. And those smaller ones…"

A blaster bolt passed centimeters from his head, sending Obi-Wan diving to the floor of the cargo compartment. Strush returned fire, aiming for one of the smaller speeders whose occupants were now firing at the utility speeder with everything from repeating blasters to pistols. One of the occupants took a bolt to the chest, and he fell off onto the road as the speeder swerved to avoid Strush's fire. Strush continued to fire at the speeder, and as it swerved back towards the center of the road a bolt struck the driver. The vehicle spun out of control, veering across the road as the armored speeder steered out of the way, barely avoiding a collision with the out-of-control vehicle. The speeder hit a ditch on the side of the road and flipped over, throwing its occupants onto the ground like paper dolls as the remaining KDF speeders continued to bore down on Obi-Wan and the guerillas. Strush exulted at the carnage as Obi-Wan winced at the sight of the speeder's fragile human cargo flung upon the ground.

"Take that, you son of a bitch! Ha ha!"

Obi-Wan suddenly felt a pang of danger from the Force, coming for Strush. As he turned to the burly guerilla, blaster fire emanated from below the windows of the armored speeder.

_Gunports. They must have them so the crew can shoot on their own, without relying on the turret._

"STRUSH! GET DOWN!"

Strush dove for the floor, but a bolt hit him in the shoulder, knocking his blaster out of his hands as he fell to the floor in agony.

"KARABAST!"

"Strush! Are you all right?"

"Don't worry about me, kid! Grab that blaster! We've still got KDF behind us!"

Obi-Wan turned to Horn.

"Horn! Strush is hit! We need to get out of here now!"

"Hold on, Obi-Wan! I'll try a few tricks and see if I can lose them!"

The speeder swerved violently down another road as the drivers of the armored speeder continued to fire through their gunports. Strush grabbed Obi-Wan by the arm and pulled the Padawan down to look at him.

"Grab the blaster, son. We need your help here."

Without a word, Obi-Wan turned and took Strush's repeating blaster in his hands, checking it to confirm it was loaded and ready for use. It was a common model of squad support weapon he had been trained on at the Jedi Temple; all Jedi were trained to use blasters in case of emergencies such as this, even though they denigrated them as "offensive" weapons and never carried them officially.

_Bulky, clumsy, and somewhat random. Still, a lightsaber won't do any good in this situation._

Taking a firing position at the rear of the cargo compartment, he saw the two remaining small speeders barreling towards them, the armored speeder nowhere to be seen. Horn shouted to Obi-Wan through the opening in the driver's compartment.

"Did we lose them?"

"Two speeders on us! I've got them!"

Obi-Wan aligned the blaster's sights on the lead speeder, and once he was comfortable with his sight picture, he squeezed the trigger. He saw a shape fall off the vehicle as one of his bolts struck a soldier, but he kept firing.

_It's you or them._

More bolts tore through the speeder's windscreen, and the vehicle swerved out of control and smashed into a nearby tree. By now, the second speeder had gained on Obi-Wan and the others and its occupants were firing madly at the utility speeder, some of them even standing up in their seats to get a better shot. Obi-Wan swung the blaster towards the second speeder as blaster bolts flew by him or struck the utility speeder, tearing ragged gashes in its frame. As his sights crossed over the speeder, Obi-Wan held the trigger down. Through the bright, blinding flashes, he could see men struck and sent flailing over the side, the staccato flashes making the whole thing look like some kind of morbid slideshow. As the speeder swerved to avoid his fire, Obi-Wan kept tracking the vehicle, letting the Force guide his hands as he fired all the way. He raked the windscreen with fire, and the speeder swerved into a tree, violently throwing the remaining soldiers onto the ground. One man hit the dirt road with a sickening, gravelly _crunch_ and bounced across the rocky surface until his corpse finally came to a rest. Obi-Wan felt sick as he watched the doomed man bounce across the ground.

_Force forgive me._

"Obi-Wan? Are we clear?"

"Those speeders are down. But…"

Right on cue, the armored speeder burst out of the darkness from a side road. Its mounted blaster cannon swung toward the utility speeder and fired a burst that blew through the back of the driver's compartment, nearly decapitating Horn. Ducking to avoid the cannon's fire, Horn raised himself back up slightly to shout to Obi-Wan.

"Obi-Wan! Destroy that speeder! Destroy it, or we're finished!"

Turning to the speeder, Obi-Wan wondered how he could defeat this behemoth whose headlights and muzzles now bored straight through him. Then, as he ducked to avoid more fire from the gunports, he decided that his skills as a Jedi would once again be more useful than his skill with blaster.

_Even this fairly large blaster can't do much to that armor. But the Force is another matter altogether._

Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber, first blocking another volley from the gunports and then a burst from the mounted cannon. As the men in the front seat continued to fire at him through the gunports, Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and grasped the cannon. Tapping deeper and deeper into the Force, he began pulling at the weapon with all the power he could bring to bear. He groaned in exertion as the cannon turned away from the utility speeder and began to violently shake, his lightsaber hand swinging almost involuntarily to block the stream of blaster fire from the gunports. A shower of sparks emanated from the cannon as it began to break free of its mountings. Then, with a brief flash, the cannon exploded, throwing Obi-Wan back into the cargo compartment as his lightsaber deactivated and clattered to the floor alongside him.

_An out-of-battery detonation. My pulling on the cannon must have ruptured its XCiter as the crew fired it. Instead of firing, though, those contained gases exploded like a bomb without an enclosed chamber to contain the exciting of the gas._

Standing up and regaining his senses, Obi-Wan saw the armored speeder was now on fire and barreling towards he and the guerillas at top speed.

"Horn! That speeder's going to hit us!"

"I can't evade, Obi-Wan! There's a cliff to my right and a giant wall of rock to my left!"

Looking back at the flaming speeder closing on him, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and focused.

_If we can't get ourselves out of the way, then we'll get him out of the way instead._

After a moment's calming, Obi-Wan opened his eyes and lashed out with the Force, violently hurling the speeder to the right. The vehicle spun off of the road and over the cliff, tumbling down the rocky cliffside in a fireball.

_That's it. We're clear._

"We're safe now, Horn. Get us to the landing site!"

Suddenly remembering the wounded Strush, Obi-Wan quickly crawled to his side, tending to his wounds with the Force. The guerilla turned to the Padawan, grasping his arm.

"You did good tonight, kid. Real good. We'd all be dead right now if it weren't for you."

_There are more than enough dead men tonight anyway. I hope I never see another night like this again._

* * *

The holoprojector in Hoowis' bridge cabin crackled to life, a ghostly image of Horn emanating from it. Hoowis walked to the projector as Horn spoke to him.

"Mr. Hoowis. Sir."

"I see you, Horn. What's your status? Do you have the parts?"

"Negative, sir. We were ambushed. The team has been wiped out, except for myself, Kenobi, and Strush."

_Sithspit._

"What about the parts, Horn?"

"The KDF was waiting for us when we arrived at the farm. They had already killed all of the auxiliaries there, except for one. He's with us now, but he's severely wounded. I don't think he'll survive the night. He told us that he saw the KDF take the parts away before executing the auxiliaries."

_All those good men, dead, and the parts we need taken to some unknown location. What a disaster!_

"Are there any injuries among your survivors? Besides the surviving auxiliary?"

"Strush was hit in the shoulder, but it's minor. He'll probably recover after a day or two in the medical bay."

"Understood, Horn. Where are you now?"

"We're aboard the shuttle, sir. We're about to take off."

"Understood, Horn. I'll see you back on the ship."

"Very well, sir. I need a medical team for the wounded auxiliary. In his condition, he needs to go straight to the medical bay the moment we touch down in the hangar."

"I'll have a medical team standing by, Horn. Now get going; you're wasting time."

"Aye, sir."

Horn's image faded as Hoowis sat down on his cot, deep in thought.

_What a mess. And we still need those spare parts. What started as a supply run has now turned into a hunt. And with what Engineering is saying, we may not have the time to conduct this hunt from the safety of deep space._

* * *

"We're about to land, boys. Get ready to disembark."

Hearing the pilot's voice over the intercom, Obi-Wan relaxed for the first time since he had departed the _Wolverine'_ s hangar, slowly ending his healing efforts on the boy now laid out on the repulsor sled before him.

_Now, his fate is in the hands of the medical staff, and the Force._

The boy had been unconscious for most of the voyage back to the _Wolverine,_ and Obi-Wan had spent that entire time keeping him alive with the Force. Between the day's events and the long journey, Obi-Wan was totally exhausted, his grip on the Force as weak as it had ever been. He was too tired to even remove his poncho, and the wet garment now hung on him like a lead weight, covered in mud and blood.

_I must look like hell. The others don't look much better._

Again, he felt the gentle bounce of the shuttle touching solid ground. Again, the ramp dropped, and again fresh air filled the stale cabin. Horn and Strush, his arm in a makeshift sling, stood up. Obi-Wan forced himself to follow suit.

_I'm so tired…_

In a trancelike state, he walked to the side of the coffin…no, the repulsor sled, that the boy lay on. Looking down at him, he saw the boy's chest weakly rising and falling, his breathing a series of shallow rasps and his clothes drenched in water, mud, and blood. His skin had lost all color, and Obi-Wan doubted he would survive the night.

_If we were just a few minutes late, he'd be dead already._

The three men stood beside the repulsor sled, walking it down the ramp. Hoowis and a team of medics at the other end of the hangar walked to the sled, and the medics quickly rushed it out of the hangar with Strush in tow as Hoowis stayed with Obi-Wan and Horn. Looking over the ragged men standing before him, Hoowis was brief and concise as he spoke.

"To the ready room, gentlemen."

* * *

Horn finished telling the group's story as Obi-Wan sat groggily on the bench, barely awake.

"So, that's it, gentlemen. There's nothing more we can do."

"Sir, the spare parts…"

"I'll get the auxiliaries on that, Horn. If anyone can track down those parts, they can."

As if anticipating Obi-Wan's question, Hoowis addressed the Padawan.

"I'll keep you informed about the boy, Kenobi. He may not even be alive when you wake up. We'll have to see how he does."

"Thank you, Mr. Hoowis."

"Now, you're both dismissed. Retire to your quarters and go to sleep."

"Sir…"

"That's an order, Horn. Kenobi, that means you too. Go to sleep: you're both a mess."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

Obi-Wan trudged down the hallway, his eyes flickering open and shut as the hall went on before him. His feet felt like weights, his head and shoulders growing heavier and sagging more with every step. Finally, he saw the door he was looking for. He turned and knocked on the door, hearing a familiar female voice in response.

"Who is it?"

"It's Obi-Wan."

Several seconds later, Siri opened the door, a book in her hand and a teasing, sarcastic grin on her face. She wore a plain, loose sleeping robe, her wet hair indicating she had recently showered.

"Well, Kenobi. You have fun with all those heavy crates…"

As she saw him, she let out a gasp. Her expression turned to one of horror, her voice now shocked and tender. Her free hand went to her mouth as she looked Obi-Wan up and down, processing his messy, threadbare appearance.

"Obie…what happened to you?"

"Don't ask. At least I'm alive."

Before he could leave, she stepped forward, tugging on his arm.

"Obie. Come in."

"Siri, you know I can't…"

"Come in. Now."

Her big blue eyes pleaded with him to stay, to come in and let her comfort him. Paradoxically, her voice was resolute, commanding, even. In his exhausted state, Obi-Wan couldn't resist her pull. He entered the room, as she placed the book on the cot and shut the door behind him. He stood still, unable to will his worn-out body to move as she came up to him and took his poncho off his shoulders. She tossed it onto the floor and walked to his front, looking up into his eyes and running her hand to his cheek.

"What happened, Obie?"

Obi-Wan's voice was totally emotionless as he recounted the night's events. Siri just stood there, listening to him and occasionally stroking his cheek reassuringly with her thumb when he hesitated as he described some of the grislier moments. When he finished, the two stood there, together, precariously close to one another. Then, she threw her arms around him, burying her head in his chest. Caught by surprise, Obi-Wan's arms simply hung at his sides.

"Siri…"

"Obie…"

"Siri, we can't be here like this…"

A surge of anger and protectiveness came off of her as she yelled at him, her voice noticeably wavering as she began to cry.

"Damn it, Obie! You almost died tonight! Just let me hold you!"

"Siri, we all know the risks here…"

Now, her voice was calm and tender, her tears slowly stopping.

"Just let me hold you, Obie. Just let me hold you."

After a moment, Obi-Wan put his arms around Siri, pulling her in and holding her close as she nuzzled against his chest. The two stood there in each other's arms for several minutes, occasionally swaying back and forth gently. Then, finally, they broke their embrace.

"Good night, Siri."

"Good night, Obie."

Obi-Wan turned and left the room before he could be tempted to do anything else. As he entered the hallway, he turned to look at Siri once last time. She stood in the doorway, gazing into his eyes. Then, painfully, she reached for the button, and the door slid closed. Standing in the hallway, dumbstruck for several seconds, Obi-Wan regained what was left of his senses and trudged off to his room. He perceived little of what happened next: all he could remember was the removal of all his clothes, and the usually harsh covers of his cot now feeling like a gentle caress against his exhausted body as it quickly and mercifully shut down.


	14. Coming Down

**Chapter 13**

**Coming Down**

Looking out at the swirling asteroids through her window, Siri bounced Cal at her breast as the infant continued to contentedly suckle, his tiny hand wrapped around her finger. As she turned her eyes to the infant curled up against her, she marveled at how well she had taken to this new role.

_Motherhood…I never thought about it. As a Jedi, I never could. But now, with this little boy in my life…I enjoy this! How can I enjoy this?_

As if sensing her distress, Cal stopped feeding and turned his head to look Siri in the eyes. Placing her hand on the infant's forehead, she couldn't help but be reminded of his father's final moments.

_He has the same eyes. And the same hair. When he grows up, he'll probably look just like his father._

Images of that horrible night played in Siri's mind as she shut her eyes, trying to banish the memories into the Force.

_His father…and his mother…_

Cal began to grow upset as Siri continued to relive the events of the night at the manor. The infant began to cry, and his cries slowly seeped into Siri's mind, bringing her back to the here and now.

_Focus, Siri! Focus! Get a hold of yourself: he needs you right now!_

Slowly, Siri turned her focus to the infant in her arms. She shushed the boy, gently whispering to him and sending him comfort through the Force as she brought him back to her breast.

"Shhh…you're okay. You're okay. Mommy has you now. You're okay."

After a moment's hesitation, Cal went back to feeding as Siri once again processed her situation.

_You're good at this, Tachi. Too good for a Jedi. And if you're now his mother, then Obie…no, you can't…_

Siri shot upright, startled at a sudden pounding on her door.

"Who is it?"

"It's Horn. Can you come out? Are you decent?"

"One minute!"

Siri sent Cal a sleep suggestion, and then gently laid the boy down on the cot as she covered herself and put on her jacket. She opened the door to see Horn standing in the hallway, looking somewhat apologetic.

"My apologies, Siri. Was I interrupting something?"

"No…no. I'm fine. What do you need?"

"The boy that Obi-Wan brought back several days ago, from the farm. He's awake now, and Mr. Hoowis wants the two of us to hurry to the medical bay to check on him."

"What about Obi-Wan? He was the one that rescued him, remember?"

Siri already knew the answer to that question. Obi-Wan had been a mess for the past several days, ever since that trip planetside. He had been sleeping late, spending inordinate amounts of time alone in his quarters, and generally been lethargic. Siri could still recall the night he came back, how spent he looked with his wet clothes and his dead eyes, his Force signature radiating nothing but exhaustion. She could also recall her emotional reaction to his return, how she fearfully embraced him as thoughts of what could have happened played through her mind.

_I can't fear for him: that's attachment, and I'm better than that. That's the path to the dark side. And he said to me that night that we all know the risks. And, yet, I can't help it! I can't help but fear for him! That stubborn, stupid bantha's ass that has such a big heart that he always takes the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders until it crushes him! That's why I love him, and that's why I worry for him!_

"Mr. Hoowis is contacting Obi-Wan himself. They're probably on the way to the medical bay as we speak. Now, shall we?"

Siri shrugged nervously, trying not to pay attention to how she was suddenly aware of how attractive she found Horn.

"To the medical bay, then."

She stepped out and shut the door, and the two of them continued down towards the medical bay. As they walked, Siri thought more and more about the man at her side, a man she had come to respect over the past month. And now, he gave her feelings she couldn't explain, feelings she was ashamed and worried of.

_Why do I get butterflies in my stomach around him? And why does he look at me the way he does? I saw it in the doorway; recently, I've seen it a few times when we've spoken. I…no, I can't feel that way about him. What would Master Adi say? And what would Obie say? Obie…I mean, Obi-Wan…is more than enough, but now this guy? Why can't I avoid romantic entanglements?_

* * *

Horn entered the medical bay, Siri by his side. In front of them, one of the ship's surgeons sat over the boy from the farm, multiple medical droids surrounding the two. The surgeon turned to see his visitors and stood to salute Horn. Horn returned the salute as Siri bowed slightly.

"Mr. Horn. Miss Tachi."

"How is he?"

"He's regaining consciousness, sir. He's been in and out for a few days. In all honesty, he should have died long ago, even with Mr. Kenobi's magic keeping him alive. There's something in this boy, something that's kept him alive all this time. Something unusual, sir."

"Can he answer questions? We'd like to ask him a few things."

"Go ahead, sir, but be gentle with him. Although he's stable now, his wounds are still severe, and he's pumped full of painkillers. He might be a bit…incoherent, for lack of a better phrase."

"We can handle him."

Siri stepped forward to address the surgeon.

"Is there a chair you can pull up?"

"Yes. There's one right over there, Miss Tachi."

"Thank you."

The surgeon gestured to a nearby chair, and Siri silently walked over and moved it to the boy's bedside. Horn walked to her side as Siri placed one hand on the boy's forehead, grasping his hand with the other. Horn marveled at her as she quietly spoke to the boy, trying to wake him.

_I was raised to see the Jedi as brainwashed minions of a corrupt government, to be kept off of our sacred soil at all costs. And, still, I met her. I didn't know what to make of her at first, and I must admit that she can often be very unladylike. But spending this time with her, working together; I've warmed up to her, and she to me. Her quiet but very real strength, her surprisingly caring nature, hidden underneath her feisty façade as it might be…she's not at all what I envisioned a Jedi to be like. I've come to respect her, to like her, even. Now, I don't see her as a Jedi, at least not in the bogeyman way I was raised to see one, but as a woman. A woman I increasingly find myself drawn to as more than just a friend._

"Hello? Are you awake?"

The boy stirred in response to Siri's voice, but his eyes remained closed.

"Can you hear me?"

The boy continued to stir, and after a few moments his eyes flickered open. He looked around the room, groggily taking in his surroundings, before his eyes locked on Siri. His voice was weak and hoarse, but something in Horn could tell he was focused intently on Siri.

_He wakes up, and the first thing he sees is a lovely blonde woman sitting at his side and holding his hand. It's understandable._

"Are you…are you a _Val'ka?"_

Siri looked at the boy, confused. Horn only grinned as he realized what the boy was thinking.

"Excuse me?"

"A _Val'ka_. They're the maidens that welcome the souls of fallen warriors into the next life. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe…"

The boy's voice trailed off as Siri's cheeks turned red. Horn tried in vain to stifle his laughter as Siri turned to look at him, barely contained indignation in her narrowed eyes.

"What's so funny?"

"Don't you hear him, Siri? He thinks he's dead!"

"Yes, I can see that, you putz."

Siri turned back to the boy and put on a calm, tender expression once more despite her still-red cheeks. The boy stared at her in drugged-up amazement.

"I'm sorry, I'm not a _Val'ka._ "

"You're not?"

"No. You're in a hospital bed now, aboard the _Wolverine._ "

"The _Wolverine…_ you mean Mr. Hoowis' ship?"

"Yes."

"Just like Mr. Horn told me…"

"Yes, he did. Mr. Horn is right behind me now. Would you like to speak to him?"

"Not right now…who are you?"

"I'm Siri. I'm part of the FKA. What's your name?"

Before the boy could answer, the door to the medical bay flew open, and Hoowis strode into the room, Obi-Wan by his side. Everyone in the medical bay stood and saluted Hoowis as he walked to Horn's side. The boy, for the first time, took his eyes off Siri and towards the visitors. His eyes widened as he saw Hoowis.

"Mr. Hoowis? Is that you?"

Hoowis stepped forward, a stern, fatherly look on his features that Horn knew all too well.

_He can be a stern father figure, but he is a father figure nonetheless. I'd do anything for him, and he would do the same for me._

"Yes it is, son."

"Our commander…it's an honor to meet you, sir."

The boy weakly sat up, trying to look as dignified and presentable as he could despite the circumstances. Hoowis stepped forward, putting his hands on the boy's shoulders as Siri backed away to give him space.

"Save your strength, lad. Lay down; you need your rest."

"Yes, sir."

Obi-Wan stepped to Horn's side as Hoowis continued to stand at the boy's, Siri still sitting next to the boy and holding his hand.

"Kenobi."

"Horn."

The two men acknowledged each other's presence, but as Horn looked at Obi-Wan he could see a glimmer in the Jedi's eyes as they went over Siri.

_And I have a rival. A rival I've also come to respect as a man and a warrior._

The two men looked on as Hoowis took over, speaking to the boy.

"You're safe now, getting the best medical care you could ask for. And you were very brave down on the planet. You did well; very well indeed."

A smile came onto the boy's face, his brown eyes beaming with pride despite the cocktail of drugs in his system and the damage of his wounds.

"Thank you, sir."

A slight, fatherly smile came onto Hoowis' lips as he spoke to the boy.

"What's your name, son?"

"Kota, sir. Rahm Kota."

* * *

Qui-Gon downed yet another cup of coffee as he aimlessly stared through the massive window of the Temple's Masters' Wardroom, watching the traffic go by through the skylanes. Ever since that meeting with Dooku several days earlier, thoughts of Obi-Wan alive on Kokeem had tormented him. That night, he had a nightmare of Obi-Wan, running from something down a dark road as Qui-Gon watched helplessly. Now, the bitter fluid running down Qui-Gon's throat only added to his foul mood. And this late in the morning, practically no Masters remained in the room, leaving Qui-Gon alone with his thoughts.

_Is it true? Is Obi-Wan really alive? Or is it just nerves?_

"Qui-Gon?"

_Adi? Where did she come from?_

"Master Gallia?"

Adi sat down next to Qui-Gon, a cup of coffee in her hands.

"You look worried, Qui-Gon. What troubles you this morning?"

"Nothing."

"You always were a terrible liar, Qui-Gon. You haven't been yourself since several days ago. Since you told me you saw your old Master for a drink."

Qui-Gon wanted to tell her what Dooku had told him, to tell her that Obi-Wan and Siri might be alive, but as he thought of his encounter with his old Master, he held his tongue.

_I told Dooku I would keep this to myself. I owe it to my old Master to keep my word. On top of this, how will Adi react if I tell her? I remember my own incredulous reaction when Dooku told me: what will her reaction be when I reveal that her Padawan is alive as well? Will she storm out in a fury and tell the entire Council that Sifo-Dyas should be committed? Will she refuse to believe me and admonish me for opening a raw wound? Or will she believe me, as I did Dooku, and spend the next few days suffering as I have as she realizes that the Council won't do anything about it? I can't tell her…but she deserves to know. And yet I can't tell her! Damn it all!_

Qui-Gon quickly formulated a response, attempting to deflect.

"Just troubled by thoughts of Obi-Wan. Meeting with my old Master…it brought back memories of Obi-Wan and his apprenticeship to me."

Adi could clearly tell Qui-Gon was lying, but she played along, a pang of sadness emanating from her.

"I know, Qui-Gon. I think about Siri, sometimes, as well. It never gets any easier with time."

Qui-Gon hurriedly changed the subject.

"What are you doing here? You're usually busy at this hour."

"Usually, but this morning I had a meeting with the Chancellor concerning the planned trade summit on Eriadu. He had some security-related concerns he wanted to discuss."

_She's been friends with Valorum for a long time. I should have known he'd get her involved in this._

"How did that go?"

"It went smoothly, considering the circumstances."

"The circumstances?"

"It wasn't just the Chancellor, Qui-Gon. Two of the primary figures involved in the summit were also present, and they made the meeting far more difficult than it needed to be."

"Who were they?"

"Governor Tarkin of Eriadu, the summit's host. He's Ranulph's cousin, and he's every bit as difficult as his cousin was. And Nute Gunray, a Neimoidian representative of the Trade Federation. We both encountered him during the Hyperspace War eleven years ago."

"Yes, I remember him. That fool nearly got us killed when he inadvertently sent his droids to attack us. Master Koon lost his own Master in that incident, if I remember correctly."

"Yes, Qui-Gon. I was there as well. I've been trying to stay away from Plo since I returned to the Temple half an hour ago. I don't want to have to explain to him I just had a meeting with Nute Gunray."

"A wise decision, most likely."

"Wise or not, Gunray and Tarkin made that meeting a distinctly unpleasant experience. I could barely say a few words before one or the other came in with some petty concern, all but demanding I do something about it. Then, as I tried to reassure whoever was speaking, the other started talking over me again, trying to argue with me and question my competence. And that was when they weren't arguing with each other, or with the Chancellor. At one point, I remained silent while a three-way argument proceeded between Gunray, Tarkin, and the Chancellor. And after this went on for several minutes, Tarkin turned to me and looked at me like the entire mess was my fault!"

"Did the Chancellor do anything about this? Try to rein them in?"

"No, and I know why. Finis is a good man, Qui-Gon, but he's on unstable political ground at the moment. And he understands the potentially catastrophic consequences of this summit falling through. He's too frightened of Gunray, Tarkin, and the summit's outcome to risk shaking the tree in any way."

_Politics. This is why I hate it. It takes grown men and reduces them to schoolboys brawling in the yard while everyone else cheers them on. And unlike schoolboys, they hide behind empty "standards" of "decorum."_

"Well, if it means anything, you have my sympathy, Adi."

* * *

"…And then he told me I was one of the most beautiful creatures in the universe."

_I hate to break it to you, Siri, but you are._

Obi-Wan chastised himself for his wandering thoughts. He quickly responded before any other forbidden thoughts could enter his mind.

"Then what happened?"

"Then you and Hoowis arrived. You were there for the rest."

"Right."

Obi-Wan and Siri stood in one of the _Wolverine'_ s many corridors, in a more isolated part of the ship. Since eating breakfast, the two had gone to a more secluded spot, hoping to get a rare moment together before anything came up. Kota had been recovering well since he had awoken that morning, but it would be at least another day before he could leave his place in the medical bay.

"I wonder if that pick-up line usually works for him…"

"You saw him, Siri. He's filled up with drugs and nearly dead. The fact he isn't dead already is incredible in and of itself. When I saw him that night, I thought he would never see tomorrow."

"And now?"

"It's still touch and go, Siri. I think he'll live, but he won't be his usual self, whatever that is, for at least a few more weeks."

"Well, here's hoping he won't try hitting on me anymore."

"I can't guarantee that, Siri. Think about it: a virile young man on the verge of death, who wakes up from a nearly mortal wound and sees you at his bedside when he wakes up?"

"Hmm…do I detect a complement in there, Kenobi?"

"That depends on your point of view. 'Born of the dark side, absolutes are,' remember?"

Siri managed a slight, girlish laugh at Obi-Wan's impersonation of Master Yoda.

_She rarely laughs like that…am I in over my head here?_

Jedi training gave way to human instinct as Obi-Wan moved in closer.

"So, you see a complement in there?"

"Why do you ask?"

Siri put on her signature flirtatious grin as she spoke. Obi-Wan felt a jolt of arousal at her expression, and he could sense the same in her.

_Why? Why does she have this effect on me?_

"Because it's only polite to say 'thank you."

She placed her hand on the lapel of his jacket, moving in closer.

"Well, I guess I'll thank you _properly_ , then…"

The sound of a man clearing his throat sent the Padawans leaping away from each other, startled. Turning towards the source of the sound, they saw Hoowis standing in the hallway, his body language communicating that he knew exactly what he had interrupted. Obi-Wan and Siri could only manage sheepish, awkward smiles in response.

"Kenobi. Tachi."

"Mr. Hoowis."

"What are you doing here? This part of the ship is hardly ever used!"

"We were…just…having a friendly conversation, Mr. Hoowis."

"Well, it looks like you enjoyed it, then. I've been searching the whole ship for you two."

"What's going on, sir?"

"An emergency meeting, Obi-Wan. Tonight, at 1900. Siri, I want you there as well."

"What's going on, Mr. Hoowis?"

"I don't have time to discuss it now, Siri. Suffice it to say that our spare parts emergency has come to a head, and we must discuss what to do next."

"Okay, Mr. Hoowis."

"You two do as you please for the time being. Just be in the ready room tonight at 1900. And don't be late."

"Yes, Mr. Hoowis."

"Yes, sir."

Obi-Wan heard Siri's voice through their Force bond.

_I need to check on Cal, Obi-Wan._

_Understood. I'll be there in a minute. I sense that Hoowis wants to speak with me._

_Well, don't take too long, Obie. Cal needs a father in his life as well._

Obi-Wan felt an uncomfortable pang at being thought of as a "father," but before he could say anything, Siri was already on her way back to her quarters. True to Obi-Wan's instincts, Hoowis approached and, after watching Siri walk out of earshot, waited for a moment before speaking to the Padawan in a calm but noticeably quiet voice.

"You love her, don't you?"

_Well, he knows, so there's no point in lying to him._

Obi-Wan could only make eye contact for a brief moment as he spoke. His voice was timid and meek, the voice of a youngling caught with his hand in the snack jar.

"Yes."

Hoowis looked at the Padawan with a mixture of realization and bewilderment, as if he simultaneously expected and yet did not expect the answer he received.

"There's no shame in that, son. She's a fine young woman. And I can tell she feels the same way about you."

Obi-Wan gathered himself and delivered his reply in the flattest, most matter-of-fact tone that he could.

_Am I trying to present myself as a wise and powerful Jedi to an outsider? Or am I just trying to get my mind off of the fact that everything he just said is true?_

"We're Jedi, Mr. Hoowis. Attachment is forbidden for Jedi."

"Attachment? Oh…I see."

Hoowis put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder as the Padawan stood almost paralyzed in the hallway, unable to even meet Hoowis' gaze with his own. The Padawan's eyes stared aimlessly down the hallway.

_I feel pathetic… I feel so impotent that I can't even look at him._

Hoowis patted Obi-Wan on the shoulder, his voice filled with genuine sympathy.

_I never thought this hard-nosed guerilla leader was capable of that._

"Well, it's damned unsporting of your kind to fix their canon 'gainst love and marriage."

Hoowis' remark tore Obi-Wan inside, leaving him unsure if he should angrily denounce Hoowis for blaspheming the Jedi Order or heartily agree with him that the Jedi Code was "damned unsporting" indeed to prohibit romance.

"How did you know?"

"I see the way she looks at you, even when she's frustrated with you. My wife looked at me the same way."

"You're married?"

Hoowis' face twisted painfully at Obi-Wan's question, and he could sense the guerilla leader trying not to respond with anger.

"I _was_ married, a long time ago. My wife was…taken from me. By Husan."

"Is that why you fight, then?"

"I fight for the free people of Kokeem, Obi-Wan. But…revenge would be nice too."

There was a coldness to Hoowis' final sentence that made Obi-Wan uneasy.

_As a Jedi, I cannot abide by someone whose motives are rooted in vengeance. But, this man…he's become a mentor. Dare I say it, in the long-term absence of Qui-Gon; he's become a father figure. And I need his help to survive on this hostile world, at least until I can find that tomb. But how can I accept the guidance of a man driven by revenge?_

As Obi-Wan's mind continued to race, Siri's words from a month earlier took on new meaning.

_"_ _We spend enough time here, we'll become invested in what Hoowis and his guerillas are fighting for, whether we want to or not. Stay here long enough, and you won't think this is a 'marriage of convenience' anymore." Now, I see what she meant. I can't detach from this for much longer. Hell, she even said as much! That we could only "play 'neutral' for so long!" I've become invested…dare I say it, ATTACHED…to Hoowis and his war!_

"Go on, son. Go spend some time with her, or go get a coffee. You need it."

Obi-Wan stood frozen, unable to decide what to do.

"Go. Relax. Enjoy yourself for a few hours. That's an order."

"Yes, sir."

Obi-Wan set off towards Siri's quarters, where she and Cal were undoubtedly waiting for him.

_I suppose a few hours helping look after Cal isn't the worst thing I can do._

* * *

**Three years earlier…**

Stepping out onto the palace's balcony, Obi-Wan felt a refreshing caress of night air against his skin.

_I can't believe they can make that happen in this giant fish tank._

Waking up to see the clock in his room, the Padawan had noticed that it was still roughly 0400. The artificial sun had yet to rise over Sundari, but Obi-Wan could not will his body back to sleep. However, he had the ideal solution for such a problem, born of other sleepless nights before.

_All I have to do is find an empty spot on the balcony, and meditate until the sun comes up. Then, I can go back inside, fetch a coffee and start my day._

Scanning the balcony, he soon found an ideal position. Assuming the lotus position, he had almost entered a meditative trance when a sudden voice snapped him back to his surroundings.

"Oh! I didn't know you were out here!"

_I know who that is._

Obi-Wan quickly stood to his feet and bowed, now painfully aware of the fact that he had nothing but his sleep pants and an undershirt on.

"Your Grace, my…erm, my apologies."

Looking at the Duchess, Obi-Wan saw she wore her characteristic blue nightgown. Her hair was again disheveled, and her eyes heavier than he had ever seen them.

_She hasn't been able to sleep either._

"What were you doing just then?"

"Meditating, Your Grace."

"Meditating?"

"Jedi often meditate to rest and recover, Your Grace. It allows us to draw in the Force, the source of our power."

The Duchess gave Obi-Wan a somewhat bemused look.

 _Most beings don't understand it._ _I'm used to this kind of reaction._

"Hmm. Well, that's fascinating."

"If I may ask, Your Grace, what are you doing up this late?"

"I couldn't sleep. You seem to be in the same predicament, Mister…what was your name again?"

"Kenobi, Your Grace. Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Obi-Wan…what an odd name. I mean no offense, Mr. Kenobi."

"None taken."

_She must be very tired indeed to let that slip out._

Before Obi-Wan could do anything else, he felt a pang of danger from the Force. Scanning his surroundings, he ordered the Duchess inside.

"Your Grace. Go inside. Now."

"Well, excuse you, you insolent…"

Feeling another pang of danger, Obi-Wan grabbed the Duchess by the arm as he turned to see a small dot of light, resembling a lit cigarette, emanating from the roof of the building across from the palace. The dot rapidly closed on the two as Obi-Wan realized what it was.

"RPG!"

Obi-Wan tossed the Duchess to the floor, throwing himself over her as the rocket hit the palace wall and detonated. Pulling the Duchess to her feet, Obi-Wan quickly rushed her back inside and then looked behind him to see what looked like several men flying towards the balcony on jetpacks.

_Jetpacks. Why do they have to have jetpacks?_

Flashes from the approaching men sent Obi-Wan back to the floor, pulling the Duchess along with him and crawling towards the Jedi's room, where Qui-Gon, along with Obi-Wan's lightsaber, lay. The Duchess screamed as blaster fire punched into the windows, making a jarring _thud_ with every impact.

_Armored windows. Still, whoever our assailants are have probably landed on the balcony by now, and it won't take them long to walk through that entryway we just came in from._

Continuing to crawl along the floor towards his room, Obi-Wan saw Qui-Gon suddenly emerge from the doorway, his lightsaber ignited in his right hand and Obi-Wan's lightsaber clasped in his left.

"Obi-Wan! Catch!"

Qui-Gon tossed the lightsaber to his Padawan, rushing to Obi-Wan's side as the Padawan snatched the weapon from the air and jumped to his feet. Pushing the Duchess safely behind him, Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and advanced alongside his Master.

_At least we're both armed now._

Master and Padawan advanced towards the entryway as a man charged through, holding a blaster carbine. The man was clad head-to-toe in Mandalorian armor, but his helmet looked unlike anything Obi-Wan had seen: it was a menacingly jagged-looking affair, with stubby, horn-like protrusions above its visor. On his shoulder plate was emblazoned a red emblem resembling the head of a pitchfork.

_I've never seen a Mandalorian helmet like that before. And that emblem…what does it mean?_

The man raised his carbine towards the Jedi. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon blocked his fire, but the bolts simply rebounded off of his armor.

_Beskar…nasty stuff. It looks like all the rumors I heard about it were true._

Despite his armor, though, the kinetic force of the bolts' impacts threw the man off-balance, and Qui-Gon pounced. The Jedi Master swung up through the man's elbow, slicing off his forearm and cutting the carbine in half. The assassin fell with a groan of pain as the Jedi pushed onto the balcony, where three other men in Mandalorian armor awaited, the same odd pitchfork symbol on their shoulders. Running his gaze over the three assailants, Obi-Wan took notice of the man standing in the center of the group. He wore the same Mandalorian armor and distinctive helmet as the now armless pointman and the two men at his side, but he held a rifle as opposed to his comrades, who each carried carbines. His helmet's T-shaped visor was painted a bright gold, and his cape, blowing in the night wind, bore elaborate decorations.

 _He must be the leader_.

The three men, moving quickly towards the entry into the palace, stopped as the Jedi appeared before them. Qui-Gon shouted to them, brandishing his lightsaber for effect.

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS! NOW!"

The leader paused for a moment, and then responded with a short, ironic laugh.

" _Jettise?_ The so-called Duchess brought the _Jettise_ into this? Well, I'll be damned!"

The man didn't seem at all intimidated by the sight of two Jedi standing before him, lightsabers ignited: his voice rang with amusement and feigned surprise, not fear.

_That can't be good._

"Well, like any red-blooded son of Mandalore, I've always wanted to kill a Jedi. Tonight, I get to kill two!"

The man stepped back, raising his rifle as he enthusiastically exhorted his comrades to action.

"LIGHT 'EM UP!"

Within moments, the Jedi found themselves deflecting streams of blaster bolts as the two men opened fire. The leader fired up his jetpack, attempting to reposition. Obi-Wan kept his focus on one of the two men still on the ground, while Qui-Gon engaged the other.

_We need to work together here. If Qui-Gon is left alone to fight both of them, he'll be killed for sure!_

The man in front of Obi-Wan fired a burst at the approaching Padawan, and then threw his carbine aside as Obi-Wan drew closer. The Mandalorian raised his right wrist, putting his left hand to the top of his gauntlet. As he felt a pang of danger from the Force, Obi-Wan leapt over the man as a geyser of flame shot from his wrist. The Mandalorian tried to track Obi-Wan, swinging around and firing another burst from his flamethrower. The Padawan rolled away from the fire, the heat of the flames stinging his cheek as the jet of flame missed his head by centimeters.

_Damn! That was close!_

Turning back to engage his opponent, Obi-Wan saw the Mandalorian press another button on his gauntlet, and a small, jagged blade sprang from within it. The Padawan quickly lashed out with the Force, hurling the Mandalorian towards the palace wall. The man fired his jetpack thrusters, but the jetpack had barely begun to run when the man slammed into the wall, smashing the device against the hard brick surface. The jetpack kept firing just long enough to send the man into an erratic hop over the nearby balcony railing before it gave out. The Mandalorian let out a terrified scream as he plummeted to his doom, echoing off of the nearby buildings as Obi-Wan felt a chill run through him.

_One down. Two more to go._

Turning to Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan saw his Master driving the other man back, raining down a flurry of blows as the man used his vambraces to block Qui-Gon's lightsaber.

 _Another thing about_ beskar _: it can block lightsabers, to a certain extent._

Desperate to get some distance between himself and the enormous Jedi Master bearing down on him, the Mandalorian ignited his jetpack, trying to put distance between himself and his opponent. Before Obi-Wan could rush in to help, however, he felt a pang of danger from the Force.

_Mind your surroundings! Maintain your situational awareness! The leader is still out there, somewhere!_

Scanning around, Obi-Wan spotted the leader kneeling behind a plant in a dark corner of the balcony, his rifle aimed directly at Qui-Gon. The Padawan charged in after the leader, his lightsaber poised to strike. Noticing the Padawan bearing down on him, the leader turned to fire at Obi-Wan, but the Padawan quickly blocked his fire. However, the man rolled behind a flowerpot to avoid the reflected bolts, deftly slinging his rifle and going for two blaster pistols hanging from his hips. As Obi-Wan closed in, the man rose and began rapidly firing his pistols at Obi-Wan. Caught off-guard by the sudden stream of bolts, Obi-Wan was forced to roll behind a nearby bench to avoid being struck. Catching his breath for a moment, the Padawan left cover and continued to bore in, only for the Mandalorian to ignite his jetpack and soar into the air, firing at Obi-Wan the whole way. Obi-Wan deflected a few bolts before he was forced to take cover behind the flowerpot to avoid the remainder of the man's fire.

_He's doing better than his colleagues. He's definitely the leader, and this is likely not his first battle. He's a dangerous man indeed._

Looking to Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan saw his Master wallop off the remaining Mandalorian's head with a single, mighty stroke.

_That just leaves the leader._

Scanning his surroundings, Obi-Wan saw the leader perched on the balcony railing, clearly having seen the demise of the last of his subordinates. The Padawan shouted to the Mandalorian.

"Your men are gone, and you have nowhere to run. Drop your weapons and surrender!"

The man turned his head towards Obi-Wan. Despite the helmet covering his features, Obi-Wan could feel the man's eyes boring right through him. The Padawan felt his blood run cold as he stared into the soulless black mirror of the man's visor, a fear he almost never felt rising up in him.

_He's taking me in: he wants to remember me. I can feel the raw hatred emanating from him right now. He might have come for the Duchess, but now he wants me dead as well._

Then, in an instant, the man threw himself off the balcony. As Obi-Wan stared in shock at where the man had once been, the orange light of jetpack thrusters came into view above the railing, the leader flying off into the darkness.

_He got away._

"Obi-Wan!"

Obi-Wan turned to see Qui-Gon rushing towards him, concern in his eyes.

"I'm all right, Master."

Suddenly realizing that he was still only clad in his sleep pants and an undershirt, Obi-Wan chuckled, causing Qui-Gon to glance at him sideways.

"Is there something funny about this, Padawan?"

"No, Master, this…this is just the only time I've ever fought a battle dressed like this."

"Well, pull yourself together and follow me. The Duchess is back there, waiting for us."

Obi-Wan sprung into action, sprinting for the entryway alongside his Master with zeal whose source he couldn't identify.

_Why do I feel such an urge to see to the Duchess? This is more than just duty, but what is it?_

Entering the palace, Obi-Wan saw the Duchess, leaning against a wall with Captain Svest by her side. The incapacitated assassin lay on the floor, surrounded by guards. Qui-Gon stepped to the fore, addressing the Duchess.

"Your Grace? Are you hurt?"

As the Duchess looked up at the two Jedi, Obi-Wan saw her eyes were swollen red, her cheeks moist with tears. The Padawan felt a surge of protective anger in him before he quickly released it into the Force.

"No, Master Jedi. I'm fine."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan turned to the wounded assassin, now writhing in pain on the floor. The man looked up at the two Jedi, looking over them before speaking with pure contempt in his voice.

"Pathetic _Jettise._ You'll get yours, eventually."

Qui-Gon didn't waver. His voice was harsh, harsher than Obi-Wan was used to. An intimidating scowl and a stern glare came over his face as he stepped forward to address his defeated opponent.

"Who sent you?"

"Kiss my ass."

By now, the Duchess was standing behind Obi-Wan, clutching his shoulders in fear as she peered past Obi-Wan at the mutilated man speaking with Qui-Gon. Despite feeling somewhat uneasy at such a physical gesture, Obi-Wan couldn't bring himself to push her away.

_She's scared right now. She needs a strong man to lean on, to feel safe with. If that happens to be me, then so be it._

Rather than continue the undoubtedly futile verbal sparring with Qui-Gon, the wounded assassin turned towards the Duchess. Obi-Wan and the Duchess both shuddered simultaneously as the man spoke, his voice thick with malice.

"We'll get you, you treasonous whore. Your pet _Jettise_ won't save you."

The Duchess tightened her grip on Obi-Wan as the Padawan looked the man in the eyes and stiffened his body upright almost involuntarily, as if his outward show of strength would somehow protect the woman now seeking refuge behind him. A second later, the Padawan heard a barely audible crunching noise. In an instant, the assassin gasped, his hands shooting towards the center of his chest as his body convulsed inwards, like a dying spider rolling over in its final moments as it curled in its legs. Then, he relaxed and laid still, the only noise being a whimper from the Duchess as she pulled herself closer to Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon and Captain Svest knelt at the man's side, the Captain feeling for a pulse. After a few moments, Svest turned to Qui-Gon, a grim look on his face.

"He's dead. Probably a suicide pill."

Qui-Gon shook his head, a brief pang of sorrow coming from him before he turned to look at the man's shoulder, where the strange pitchfork insignia was.

"What is…"

"He was with the Death Watch, Jedi. That red emblem on his shoulder is their mark. And that helmet is distinctive to members of the Death Watch."

_The Death Watch. We meet at last. So that's why that helmet is so odd._

"Are there any others, Jedi?"

"One. He escaped."

Remembering the leader's escape, Obi-Wan chimed in.

"I believe he was their leader, Captain. He had distinguishing marks on his armor that led me to conclude as much."

"Good spot, Jedi. We'll check the security footage, see if we can identify him."

"I'm sorry, but those looked like marks of rank, not specific affiliation or identity…"

"Mandalorian armor is unique to the wearer, Jedi. If this guy has a record; and he probably does if he's a leader with the Death Watch; we might be able to tell who he is. I'll get Inspector Brun in here tomorrow, and we can go over the footage."

"Sounds as good a plan as any, Captain."

Svest turned back to the corpse as Qui-Gon stood up and looked at Obi-Wan, a hint of a proud smile on his face. He spoke through their Force bond, his voice congratulatory.

_Excellent work, Obi-Wan. The Duchess is safe, and your observations might lead us to whomever is responsible for this._

_I hope so, Master. I hope so._

As he continued to silently watch the scene, Obi-Wan felt the Duchess still clinging to him, noticeably trembling. He found himself fighting the urge to reach his hand to hers, to reassure her with a touch of his hand.

_Don't. Remember what Master Qui-Gon said: don't let her turn into another Lena Cobral. You're here to keep her safe, and nothing else…_

* * *

**Present day…**

"Obie?"

Siri's unmistakable, melodic voice roused Obi-Wan from his slumber.

"Obie?"

Obi-Wan groggily awoke to see Siri's cabin around him, the window right next to him.

_Oh, right. I came in to spend some time with Cal, and I fell asleep at Siri's desk._

Siri herself stood over Obi-Wan, a mixture of concern and annoyance in her eyes. Cal was barely visible on the cot behind her, wrapped in blankets. Looking at Siri, Obi-Wan saw she had her jacket on and her braid tightly fixed, clearly ready to go out.

_Where's she going?_

"What?"

"Emergency meeting with Hoowis. Didn't he tell you back there in the hallway?"

Obi-Wan suddenly remembered the meeting he had with Hoowis earlier, and bolted out of the chair to grab his jacket. Siri stood by the doorway, leaning up against the wall with a playful lilt to her voice.

"I thought you'd never wake up, sleepyhead. Then, you started stirring in your sleep. It must have been another nightmare."

"Yes…yes, it was."

"Do you want to…"

"No."

Obi-Wan punctuated his sentence by straightening his jacket. He turned to Siri, who stepped away from her place on the wall with a sigh.

"Well, let's go see what the big man wants this time."

Obi-Wan opened the door, letting Siri step out into the hallway as she nodded in thanks. He exited behind her and shut the door, and the two continued to the ready room, preparing themselves for whatever Hoowis had to throw at them.

* * *

"Jedi. Have a seat."

The Padawans sat down next to the ship's officers, noticing that Hoowis' voice was graver than usual. Horn stood next to his commander, well-hidden worry etched onto his face.

_Whatever happened, it sounds bad._

"Well, there's not much time, so I'll be concise. As all of you know, our attempt to acquire much-needed spare parts for the ship was thwarted several days ago when the KDF ambushed the handoff and seized the parts. I've spent the past several days in contact with our spies in the Auxiliary, trying to locate where those parts were taken. None of that has panned out yet. However, according to Engineering, the ship's mechanical state is nearing a critically dangerous point and keeping her in space any longer would be unsafe. Thus, I have decided to land the ship on Kokeem until we can locate and recover those spare parts."

At this, a great murmur went up among the officers, before Horn stepped to the fore, his voice calm but stern.

"Silence!"

The murmur dissipated, and Hoowis continued.

"We'll put the ship down in a secure area, in our territory. None of you need to know the exact location; just know that it's a safe one. I'll stay in touch with the Auxiliaries, and once I find the parts I will assemble a strike team to recover them: the exact details of the retrieval will be worked out at that time. Once we have the parts, we will conduct repairs while on the ground, and then take the ship off of the planet and back to our current sanctuary in the asteroid field. Until then, however, we will live planetside, using the grounded ship as a base of operations. We're bringing her into hyperspace in an hour, so all of you must be at your posts as soon as you leave this room. Any questions?"

No one raised any concerns, but Obi-Wan couldn't tell whether this was due to a lack of concern or utter shock at such a dangerous plan.

"All of you are dismissed, then. See to your departments at once. I'll notify you via the ship's 1MC when we're entering hyperspace."

The officers and the Jedi sat there, taking in what they had just heard, before Hoowis spoke again.

"What are you waiting for? Get to it! We're entering hyperspace in an hour!"

The officers sprang to their feet and jostled their way out of the room. Obi-Wan and Siri slowly stood up, discussing their options through their Force bond.

_So, what are we going to do now?_

_Let's head back to your room, and check on Cal. Once we've landed, we can decide where to go from there._

* * *

Entering the hospital room along with his partner, the leader of the Vampires took in his surroundings through the visor of his helmet. The room was a small affair, with a bed against the right-side wall and a medical droid next to it. Next to the bed, near a large window, a door led into the room's fresher. On the bed lay a young man, roughly twenty years of age, with his body so wrapped in bandages and casts he resembled a mummy. Still, his face was exposed enough to allow him to speak. The young man turned his head towards his two visitors as the helmeted man went through what he already knew about the situation in his mind.

_This man is one of the few survivors of the running battle at that abandoned farmhouse. He's a private in the 26th Infantry Regiment, a conscript like most of the KDF. They're kids from the cities that get drafted into the army upon turning eighteen, and then get sent to fight Hoowis and his cronies. He was part of the task force sent to the farm several days ago to seize those rebel spare parts. We got the parts, but the FKA force sent to pick them up managed to fight their way out and escape. A number of speeders were lost, along with most of their occupants, but this guy survived despite being thrown from his vehicle. He's still in bad shape: the doctors say he may never walk again, and he'll be in severe pain for the rest of his life. Of course, none of that is my concern. And, frankly, I knew guys in the Death Watch that were dead before they reached his age. He's just another casualty. I'm here to find out what he remembers about that battle. Husan's growing tired of the FKA and their raids: for some reason, their raids have become more and more effective over the past month. It might be new methods; it might be new equipment. Whatever it is, I'm here to see if this man has the answers I'm looking for._

The leader turned to look at his partner and second-in-command of the Vampires of Kokeem, Ugo Swall. Swall was a short, stocky man of thirty-two with dark hair and empty blue eyes. He was a street thug from the Kokeemi capital who had joined the Vampires after being discharged from the KDF for psychiatric reasons over a decade earlier. The discharge was well-deserved: Swall had been classified as a homicidal maniac with sexually violent tendencies, and the psychiatrists at the insane asylum the Vampires dragged him out of wanted to use him as a human test subject for experimentation on the brain. Even the Vampires had only reluctantly brought him into their fold, but with the new commander's ascendancy almost two years earlier, Swall had gone from a mere enforcer to the second-in-command of the entire organization. Still, the new commander took pains not to give him any serious responsibilities: whatever his rank might have implied, Swall was still a thug at heart, and in no position to lead the Vampires. However, despite his tendencies Swall wouldn't dare act up while in his leader's presence, unless he was ordered to.

_He's an excellent enforcer, but a terrible leader. He's my own little pet rancor, and nothing more. Still, he's incredibly gifted at what he does._

Looking back to the private on the hospital bed, the commander saw him shaking in fear as he saw the two men standing before him.

_Most of these conscripts don't even know that the Vampires exist. Husan's "official" statements claim they're a conspiracy theory made up by the rural population to discredit his regime. These city boys are fed that narrative since childhood, and most of them do their four years in the KDF without ever seeing a Vampire. They hear rumors, sure, but they've been conditioned to dismiss them. Right up until we're standing next to them, of course._

"Who are you?"

"That's not important, son. We ask the questions here."

"What's going on? Am I in trouble?"

The commander stepped forward, stopping just short of the bed.

_No need to scare him too much. Just enough to get him talking, and talking straight. I don't want him to clam up on me._

"Calm down, son."

The private slowly relaxed as the commander continued.

"Now, several dozen of your comrades are dead, and I need to know what happened."

"I…I can't remember much about that night…"

"Start from the beginning. What happened?"

The private took a deep, agonized breath, and then began his story.

"We surprised the rebel couriers at the farmhouse, just like we planned. We got the parts loaded onto a speeder and taken offsite, and then Lieutenant Resu took several men with him and led the prisoners into the barn. My squad leader told me not to ask what was going on. A minute or two later, I heard blaster fire and screaming from the barn. Lieutenant Resu and the men he had with him came out just afterwards, but the prisoners were nowhere to be seen. He sent us out to the perimeter, told us to be ready for more rebels. About five minutes later, we heard blaster fire coming from the farm. My squad leader tried to raise Resu, but he got no response. We headed for the farm, and we found a bunch of rebels guarding the approach to the barn. There was a brief firefight, and we took several casualties before we cleared the approach."

"These rebels, who were they? Were they auxiliaries? Were they regulars?"

"These ones were regulars, sir. The prisoners Lieutenant Resu took into the barn were all auxiliaries, though."

_Both halves of the equation, just like we planned for. Still, how did they manage to escape our trap?_

"Go on, then."

"We…we advanced towards the barn, but there were FKA regulars in there as well, and they opened up the minute we reached the entrance. We went around, tried to smash our way through the wall and flank them."

"And then what happened?"

The private paused, his face twisting as he mustered up the courage to continue.

"We breached the wall, but as we came in, some guy did a kriffin' somersault off of the balcony and landed right in front of us. All I remember after that was a bright, blue light, and screams. By the time we all fled, half my squad was dead, cut into pieces like…"

The private's voice trailed off as the commander stood puzzled.

_What the hell is he talking about? Somersaulting off of the balcony? A bright, blue light? His squadmates cut into pieces? Could it be…no, it can't be. Not on Kokeem._

"What happened next?"

"We regrouped, and the vehicle crews brought the speeders around. We mounted up and pursued the rebels, who were by now escaping in their own speeder. We had a running gun battle with them, before one of them ran a heavy repeating blaster over our vehicle. The last thing I remember was a red flash from the rebel speeder, and my driver screaming in pain as we swerved off the road. Next thing I knew, I was on a medevac shuttle headed here."

"The man that jumped off the balcony, can you remember anything else about him?"

"Not much, I barely caught a glimpse of him. He was like a blur; the next thing I remember he was on us, his flashing blue light slicing through my buddies. I can't remember what he looked like. I don't even know who he was: I've never seen anything like that before."

"Well, thank you, Private. We'll come back if we have any more questions."

The commander turned to Swall, and with a nod between them the two men left the room. The commander went through the man's account in his head, still in denial of what his instincts told him.

_What he said…did he encounter a Jedi? Why would the Jedi be interested in Kokeem all of a sudden: this place is a backwater, and Mandalore is right next-door. And you of all beings should know how interested the Jedi are in protecting the Duchess and her regime. Why would they come here? And why would they back the FKA?_

Swall's words as the two men walked down the hospital hallway mirrored the commander's thoughts.

"What that kid said, Vistro…he wasn't talking about one of them warlocks, was he? The…whaddya' call 'em…the Jedi?"

"I don't know, Ugo. I really don't know."

As the two men continued on down the hallway, an image came into the commander's mind, of a deadly night in Sundari. He saw a balcony before him as he sat crouched on its railing, and a young man, roughly the same age as the private now languishing in the hospital bed, standing before him clad in his pajamas with a lightsaber blazing in his hand. He remembered how their eyes met, and that despite his helmet he could tell the kid was looking straight into his eyes.

 _And he's the same one that condemned me to this place two years ago…I wonder if it's him? I wonder if he's the one with the FKA? If it is, I'm the luckiest man in the galaxy: I can finally settle the score with the dirty_ Jetti _that ruined my life._

* * *

"Now hear this, now hear this. We're exiting hyperspace in one minute. Go to the windows if you want to sightsee; we're putting the ship down as fast as we can, and we can't linger in orbit."

Obi-Wan and Siri turned to the window, eager to catch a glimpse of Kokeem from orbit before they entered the atmosphere. The Padawans sat together against the wall at the foot of Siri's cot, Cal cradled between them. Upon entering hyperspace, the little boy had been transfixed as he viewed the swirling blue vortex out the window. Now, the Padawans turned him back towards the window, and the infant once again stared out into the blue kaleidoscope, fascinated by this first experience of hyperspace travel.

_It's the first time he's ever seen it. After we found him, we returned via shuttle, and the only windows there are in the cockpit, behind a set of blast doors._

After a long wait, the stars came back into focus. The Padawans stood up and walked to the window, raising Cal up on Obi-Wan's shoulders so he could see his homeworld. As the ship maneuvered into position for reentry, the breathtaking vista of Kokeem came into view. Cal sat on Obi-Wan's shoulders, transfixed by the sight as Obi-Wan spoke to him.

"You see that, Cal? That's Kokeem. That's where you're from!"

The infant let out a short "ahh," and Obi-Wan could sense a wave of amazement from the boy. Siri spoke to Obi-Wan through their Force bond.

_Even at his age, he's amazed by this vista._

_Another first for him. Seeing his homeworld from space…I can't even remember where I was born. Stewjon, was it? I think that's what it was. I have very, very vague memories of it, of my parents. I can't remember what it looked like from space, though._

_At least you can remember where you were from, Kenobi. I can't even remember my pre-Jedi years. I think they took me off of Corellia…or was that Alderaan? Or somewhere else entirely? I can't remember for sure. And it's not like the Jedi Order will tell me._

As the trio looked out over the Kokeemi earthrise, Siri gently took Obi-Wan's hand.

_The last time we saw that, we were with our Masters. Now, we're stuck here, with these odd guerillas on one side and all manner of dangerous enemies on the other._

_Don't be afraid, Siri. We have each other. We have this little one to raise. And we have a mission to complete._

She gripped his hand tighter as he sent her a wave of comfort through the Force. Oddly, Cal seemed to react to it as well, letting out a contented giggle.

_That's odd. It's almost as if he could sense it? Could he…no, it can't be. He's just close to us, that's all. If he were Force-sensitive, we would know._

Obi-Wan focused on the Kokeemi earthrise, clearing his mind and letting the Living Force from such a vast array of life rejuvenate him. For the first time since the battle at the farm, he felt like himself again.

_Like I said, we have a mission to complete._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1MC is an acronym for "1 Main Circuit," the primary PA system aboard US Navy warships. It is used primarily for shipboard announcements (shipboard emergencies such as fires or security alerts, notifications of crew working aloft or divers over the side, so that radiation-emitting devices such as radars can be shut down or the engines stopped to stop the propellers respectively, General Quarters, etc.) and, on certain occasions, for music. Various other departments (Engineering, Aviation Maintenance, etc.) have their own communication circuits with their own alphanumeric designations to transmit information specific to their respective department in spaces they work in, but the 1MC is the primary ship-wide PA system. The "Val'ka" scene takes inspiration from the Valkyries of Norse mythology; maidens who ferried the souls of fallen warriors of their choosing to the feast hall of the god Odin, where they would feast with Odin for eternity. In Irish mythology, a goddess known as the Morrigan performed a similar role, among other things. In keeping with Kokeemi culture having a heavy ancient Mandalorian flair to it, I chose to give Kokeemi religion a belief in an actual afterlife as was the case in Mandalorian antiquity, as opposed to the more familiar Manda of later Mandalorian religion, which is a nebulous, pantheistic force that the souls of Mandalorians become part of upon their deaths (this is why the worst insult in Mando'a is to be called "soulless", as it means you forfeit your place in the Manda) not unlike the concept of the Cosmic Force. Of course, the scene also takes inspiration from Anakin's first encounter with Padmé in Episode I. The distinctive helmet described in the Mandalore flashback is taken from the distinctive helmet used by the Death Watch in Jango Fett: Open Seasons. The Death Watch as depicted in The Clone Wars wear what looks like some sort of variation on the Supercommando armor with the distinctive domed helmet worn by the Fetts, and is more along the lines of what Jaster Mareel's True Mandalorians wear in Open Seasons. If you want to see what the Death Watch helmet looks like, Wookieepedia has a short article on it, along with pictures of the design from Open Seasons.


End file.
